Second Chances
by MB1000
Summary: Bella and Jasper have been friends for years and always depended on each other. But when the past and secrets come to light, will friends and family come together or will they let it rip them apart? The truth isn't always what it seems BPOV
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, but the plot of this story is my own.**

 **Thank you to my beta** Fanpireish **for all your hard work!**

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Chapter 1

BPOV

I had been writing for several hours and needed a break. My fingers were starting to cramp with the constant typing. I glanced at the clock and saw that Jasper would be on his break in half an hour; I decided to text him and see if he wanted to meet up for lunch. After freshening up in the bathroom, I checked my phone for his reply.

 _Can we do lunch in my office? -J_

 **Sure. I'll pick up some Chinese food. You want the usual?-B**

 _That would be great. See you soon. -J_

Grabbing my purse, I headed for the door and then my car. I called our favorite restaurant, called Windchimes, and placed our order. Twenty minutes after I had texted Jasper, I had the food and made my way into the school Jasper worked at. I checked into the main office then made my way to Jasper's office. His door was open, indicating he wasn't with a student.

"Hey." He greeted in his southern accent.

"Hey, I come bearing nourishment," I said

Jasper chuckled, "Really can't call this stuff nourishment, darlin'."

"Oh, whatever. It's good for the soul." I replied playfully.

"I suppose." He said with a smile.

We dug in while chatting about a little bit of everything. The high school was having some issues with bullying so Jasper, as the school counselor, wanted to stay close by in case another incident occurred. It was the reasoning for having lunch in his office. I didn't mind. I was just happy to see my best friend. His lunch break was coming to a close, so it was time for me to make my exit.

"It was nice seeing you," I said while getting out of my seat.

"You too. I know you have been busy with the new book and my job has been a little crazy, but we definitely need to hang out more."

"While I love any opportunity to hang out, I did see you just last week," I said teasingly, giving a playful wink.

"True, but I do miss you. It's also nice to have someone to have lunch with. To have someone to just talk to in general."

"Alice never stops by?" I asked.

Jasper's face fell. "No, she is rarely home as it is. She is either working or hanging out with her fashion friends. She has been really distant lately." He sounded so defeated.

He and Alice have been having problems off and on for awhile. It wasn't even that they argued a lot or fought all the time. It was that Alice was never there- physically, emotionally, or mentally. She was caught up in her work as a fashion designer and her friends in that industry. Jasper had always supported her too, but she never supported him back.

I reached over and hugged him which he reciprocated. "Well, I am here if you need anything. Never hesitate to call me. You know that, though."

"Thanks, Bella," Jasper said, with a weak smile as we pulled away.

My heart broke as I headed home. I hated seeing Jasper look so broken. His marriage with Alice had never been easy. I honestly don't know why he married her. I don't say that to be cruel, but they have never been in tune with each other.

Alice dated Jasper more out of convenience. And to honest, not as I headed home. IhaI thinks she has just been using him for her benefit. They meet two years ago when Alice was 21 and Jasper was 23. Alice had aspirations but no motivation. Jasper told her he would help her with her dreams and desires. She wanted to go to school, Jasper paid for school. She wanted to take an on an unpaid internship, Jasper supported them both financially. Alice dropped out of school when the internship turned into a full-time job. I was happy for her but found it a little strange they hired an intern without her first completing her degree.

Jasper supported her decision though. He always supported Alice, but she never supported him back. She always complained when he had to work late; it didn't matter if it was so he could meet with the parents of a student who attempted suicide. In Alice's mind, she was more important. I always thought she was selfish, but tried to support her and Jasper none the less. If she made him happy, who was I to argue? But now she was draining my friend and it pained me to watch.

Should I have intervened before they got married? Probably. But they announced their engagement only after three months of dating and then got married two months later. It was very quick and though I thought it was odd, I didn't want to hurt my friend's feelings with words of doubt. I often wondered what she did to convince him to marry her, but tried to shake those thoughts away.

Because if I was honest, deep down I loved Jasper. I had denied it for so long when we were younger. I fought the feeling because I worried he never felt the same way. He had dated other girls, and I had dated other guys. For a while, I thought maybe was just waiting for me to be ready to stop fighting the feelings, but when Alice came around, I knew I had to fight them forever. By the time I realized I was already in love with him, it was too late.

I then committed to still staying his friend. I wanted Jasper in my life, and if it was only as a friend then that was better than nothing. I never tried to come in between him and Alice. I supported them even though deep down it tore me apart when they got married. I never told Jasper about how I truly felt. For the past year and half of their marriage, I have perfected burying those feelings.

He was married and we could only be friends. I accepted it and moved on. Well, I never truly moved on to other guys. I never had a serious relationship after I ended things with Edward. Sure, I had gone on dates, but never let anything progress. I moved on to focusing on my career and building a life for myself. Jasper and I stayed close friends and I was happy. But now Jasper wasn't happy, and it was because of Alice. I knew I couldn't get too involved, but I still wanted to be there for my friend.

I was now home and tried to back into working on my book. It was no use as my mind was swirling in a million directions. I changed into work out clothes and headed to the gym in my apartment complex. I would workout outside but it rained a lot in Seattle. I ran about three miles on the treadmill before switching to the elliptical and doing another two miles. I felt better and my head was a little clearer. After showering, I got back to writing. I worked until late that night since I got on a good writing kick. My publisher would definitely be happy. I had a meeting with them next week and was certain they would be satisfied with the progress.

The few days went by fast. I chatted with Jasper on the phone time and it sounded like things with Alice wasn't getting any better. One day I suggested he plan a romantic dinner for them and he did, but Alice said she was busy, ruining the dinner he had spent two-hundred dollars on. I was two seconds away from ringing the bitches neck.

Two days later, Jasper called me to say that he and Alice had talked briefly that day; she wanted to sit down and talk to Jasper the following day about them and work some things out. Jasper sounded hopeful that this would be a turning point for them. I told him I was happy for him and wished him the best, but deep down other feelings stirred. I knew I should be happy that Alice was possibly making a turn, and part of me was, but another part felt saddened. I growled in frustration. He is married! I shouldn't still be hung up on this.

I decided a trip to the grocery store was a good distraction, plus I was low on supplies. After spending a good hour browsing through the lanes, I ran into Mike Newton. The real kicker was that he asked me on a date again. The guy was relentless. I had turned him down several times, but here he was asking again. I can't believe I'm about to do this….

"Yeah. Sure Mike."

His face lit up. "Great! How about tomorrow? I know it's kind of sudden…"

Tomorrow was also when Jasper and Alice were having their talk. This date would be the perfect distraction for me. Not to mention, I needed to move on.

"Tomorrow's fine," I replied.

I could tell Mike was stoked about my answer. "I'll pick you up at about 8." He said with a smile so big that it had to hurt his face. We traded numbers, and I told him I would text him my address.

I finished up my shopping and headed home. I tried to get excited about my date, but couldn't really find the enthusiasm. You need to move on…. But with Mike? I mulled it over in my mind. I doubted that I could be long-term with Mike. Going on a date with him would at least help me jump back into the dating game. Not to mention, he could stop bugging me to go out with him.

I worked on my book when I got home until I went to bed. The next morning, I again tried to psych myself up for the date. By the time six o'clock hit, I was actually a little excited. I showered and did my hair and makeup. I picked out a cute blue dress that seemed first date appropriate.

Mike was punctual and showed up right at eight. I greeted him with a smile which he returned. We then set off to dinner. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I put my phone on silent so I could give Mike my undivided attention. A half an hour later my earlier enthusiasm had faded. Mike and I didn't have a lot in common. I found the conversation almost forced with him. Needless to say, there was no click between us. I suppress a groan when Mike ordered dessert when I just wanted to go home. I was almost jumping for joy when we got in the car for him to take me home and end the date.

We were about to pull into my apartment complex when Mike said, "I had a really nice time tonight." Oh god…. I didn't want to be rude, but I most certainly did not have a good time.

"Uh… Yeah…" Smooth, Bella smooth.

"Maybe we could do this again sometime?" He asked. Oh shit.

I pulled out my phone to unmute it. "I don't know Mike. I…" I abruptly stopped when I looked at my phone screen.

 ** _10 Missed Calls- Jasper_**

 ** _20 Text Messages- Jasper_**

Oh, shit what happened?

"I'm sorry, Mike. I got to go. Something came up with a friend." Not sure what that something is, but I need to find out.

"Oh okay." He sounded disappointed, but I didn't have time to console him. I needed to get in touch with Jasper. What if something happened to Alice? Or Rose? Shit… I'm never putting my phone on silent during a date again.

I called Jasper as I practically ran up the stairs to my level. His voice was going straight to voicemail. Fuck! I was almost to my level. I would change and go straight to his house and see what was wrong. I made it to my floor and rounded the corner to where my apartment was.

At my door was Jasper, sitting on the floor. He had blood shot eyes and looked like hell. He staring off into space

"Jasper, oh god! I tried calling you back but your phone was going straight to voicemail. I'm so sorry I didn't pick up. I was on a date and put my phone my silent. Jasper, what's wrong? Talk to me!"

He lifted his up his head and meet my eyes, his hair frazzled and tears, both wet and dry, were at various stages of coming down his face. "Alice and I are getting a divorce."

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 **A/N: Updates will be weekly, possibly sooner.**

 **To my previous readers,**

 **no, this is not a ExB story**

 **no, this is not a mafia story.**

 **But...I will be working on "Is there a Doctor in the House?" along side this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: I am excited for this story! While this is my third fanfiction, it's my first with JxB.**

 **Also thank you to my beta** Fanpireish

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 _Previously…._

 _He lifted his up his head and meet my eyes, his hair frazzled and tears, both wet and dry, were at various stages of coming down his face. "Alice and I are getting a divorce._ "

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Chapter 2

BPOV

My stomach dropped. No… it… it can't be… I knew they were having problems, but a divorce?

My heart twisted as I saw the clear pain my friend was in. Alice better be glad she is nowhere near me at the moment or… Focus Bella. Jasper needs you right now.

I knelt down so I would be on his level. "Let me help you and then we'll get you inside so we can talk," I said reassuringly, making eye contact the entire time.

Jasper nodded and accepted my hand in standing up. I then noticed the packed duffel beside him. He followed my eyesight and then said, "I'm sorry. I have nowhere to go and…."

"It's okay, Jasper. Let me unlock the door and then I'll get us something to drink."

Walking in, I flipped on the lights and then headed to the kitchen. "Water, beer, or-"

"Beer." He answered dryly, cutting me off.

I got us each one. I don't drink very often, but this seemed like a conversation that warranted alcohol.

Handing him the beer I said, "Let's go to the living room and you can start from the beginning."

Jasper let out a breath. "Remember how Alice wanted to talk to me?" He started.

"Yeah, I assumed it was to work things out for you guys. I know y'all have hit a rough patch."

He laughed, but without humor. "Our whole marriage has been a rough patch. But like you said, I thought she wanted to talk to work through things not…" He trailed off.

"Not what?" I encouraged. I hated to see him in pain. And fuck if I didn't hate Alice more for causing it.

"She called the pow-wow to tell me she has been sleeping with her boss, James." Well shit.

"Are you fucking serious?" I didn't even try to hide my anger. That fucking skank.

"Yep, apparently it has been going on for a while. It definitely explains how she got hired during her internship without finishing her degree." He mumbled towards the end. I knew the pit in my stomach about that was right…

So the skank slept with her boss to work her way up? My hatred for her just keeps piling up.

"I hate to ask this, but why did she decide to tell you now?" I asked.

"She was getting annoyed with me trying to work on our marriage. She said I couldn't give her what she wanted and that she found it with James."

"Found what fucking exactly?" I was livid. "A boss that lets her fuck her way to the top?"

"I guess." He replied while shrugging his shoulders. "I couldn't believe what she was telling me, She has lied to me so much. All the late work nights and her hanging her with her supposed friends…"

It was like a knife was being twisted in my heart. Alice had been using Jasper while she was screwing her boss. It made me question whether or not even the very first parts of their relationship were a farce.

"And that even isn't all of it. After she told me about the affair, I went upstairs to pack a bag so I could stay somewhere else for awhile. While I packed, she told me all of it was a lie. Why we got married…" He trailed off. He was clearly in pain even thinking about what ever it was.

"What do you mean Jasper?" I was confused. Sure, I often wondered why they got married so soon but never pried into it. Clearly, there was more to the story.

"Did you wonder why Alice and I got married so soon?" He asked.

"Yeah, everyone did. You guys got engaged only after three months of dating and then married two months later."

"We got married because Alice told me she was pregnant," Jasper stated.

Holy shit! I knew that bitch did something to con Jasper into marrying her.

"Jasper…"

"We had sex one time! I didn't remember it either. I was drunk and then woke up naked next to Alice. She didn't think we used a condom and then a few weeks later she said she was pregnant. She was scared and I told her I would make it right. She begged for us to get married. She was afraid of the shame from her family if they found out she was pregnant and not married. So I told her we would get married and we planned it for two months out so she wouldn't show. I wanted to do things right. My dad ran out on my momma when she was pregnant with me and I didn't want to be like him."

"Jasper, you are nothing like your father," I assured him.

"I didn't want to abandon Alice."

"But that didn't mean you had to marry her," I said quietly.

"She pleaded for us to get married, and she didn't want anyone to know about the baby. She didn't want people to think that was why we were getting married."

"But that was why you got married," I whispered.

"I know…. And then after the wedding…. A few weeks later she said she had a miscarriage. I was distraught. Alice didn't want me going with her to the doctor though. Then a week later she was fine. It was like the baby never happened. Turns out that was what it exactly was."

"What?" I was confused, again.

"When I packed my stuff tonight, Alice came up to me and told me that why we got married was a lie. She said she was never pregnant. She faked it all, the baby, the miscarriage, just so I would marry her."

Holy fuck!

"Are you fucking serious?!" I practically yelled.

"As a heart attack." He replied.

At that point, I was livid.

"I told her we were getting divorced as soon as possible. See didn't argue of course. She said she thought two years ago I would be going places so she wanted to marry me, She thought I could give her everything she wanted. Turns out she was disappointed."

"Jasper, you did give Alice everything. She is a manipulative bitch who uses and loses people. You are better off without her."

"I know that, now. It just hurts so bad. I tried so hard to make her happy and give her a good life. After I thought she was pregnant, I wanted to make things right and be the best I could be. I never loved her though. I tried, I tried really hard, but I felt more obligated to her since we were married. There was never love on either end. I just hate that I fucked up my life so bad."

"Hey, you didn't fuck up your life. Alice did. You are one of the most caring people I have ever meet and Alice took advantage of that. Don't let her define you."

"Thanks, Bella. You have always been there for me." He said with a weak smile.

I smiled back, feeling so much pain for my friend at the same time.

"That isn't all she did either." He mumbled.

"What? What else did she do?" I asked, feeling more anger brewing.

"After I left the house, I called and texted you, but you never responded."

"I'm sorry Jasper. I-"

"It's okay darlin'. You didn't know what was going on. Anyway, after I couldn't get in touch with you, I tried to check into a motel for the night. My credit card was declined though. I didn't have enough cash on hand, so I went to an ATM and it said my bank account was zero. I checked my accounts online and even called customer service. She took everything and then maxed out the credit card."

That fucking bitch. "Did you have a separate bank account or just one joint account?" I asked.

"The only account I had was a joint account with Alice which she cleaned everything out. The only money I have to my name is the $20 in my wallet." He said sounding so defeated.

"Oh, Jasper." I engulfed him in a hug which he returned. "You will get through this, I promise."

"Thanks, Bella." There was a silence for a minute and then Jasper spoke again. "I know it is a lot to ask, but I could stay here? Just till I figure things out? Rose and Emmett are four hours away in Forks…"

"You are more than welcome here. Stay as long as you need. Uh… you will have to take the couch tonight, but tomorrow we can put a bed in my office. Hell, we'll just convert my office into a bedroom for you."

"You don't need to convert the whole room, this is your home and you work from home."

"Nonsense. I have more than enough room to split my office stuff between my bedroom and the living room. The office is technically a bedroom anyway. You will have a closet and your own bathroom. With the damage Alice has done, it will take you awhile to get back on your feet, financially wise. You can live here during that time." I assured him.

"I will pay rent though. Well, when my next paycheck comes."

"First, you will focus on other things. And then after awhile once things have settled, if you want to pay rent then so be it. By the way, just out of curiosity, weren't you supposed to get a paycheck today?"

"Yeah, but I have direct deposit with the school and it hit the bank account this morning. Alice took it before our talk. I don't get paid for another two weeks since the school pays on a bi-weekly basis." Jasper replied.

"I will spot you some cash to hold you over till then. Tomorrow, we will go to the bank and get you your own account set up. Monday, talk to the school and set up the direct deposit to your new account."

"I also need to take Alice's name off of everything or at least get my name off stuff. And… fuck!"

"What?" I asked worriedly.

"Several bills were supposed to be taken out of the bank account today through automatic payment. I need to see if any went through. The fucking mortgage is due. Fuck!" He was getting worked up, which isn't Jasper. He is usually cool and collected.

"Calm down. We will get as much stuff figured out tomorrow as possible, but now you need to get some sleep. I'll go get you some pillows and blankets."

"Okay, thanks, Bella. For everything…."

"I know you would do the same for me," I said with a smile.

After helping Jasper get situated, I went to my room and got ready for bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: I apologize for the delay in posting. I had some real life issues that took absolute precedence. Once those issues were resolved, I then had some medical issues happen. I had issues with my vison which made it impossible to write, and honestly daily living was hard especially being a single mom. Again, I am sorry, but hopefully ya'll understand.**

 **This chapter has not been beta-ed. When she gets back to me, I will update the chapter. So all mistakes are my own.**

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BPOV

Sleep did come easily to me. I tossed and turned before finally drifting off. I was still restless all night though. I woke up the next morning feeling exhausted but knew it was useless to try to sleep more. Glancing at the clock, I knew it was an acceptable time to get up and move around the apartment. Jasper was asleep was in the living room, and I didn't want to disturb him too early.

Jasper. My best friend had been through hell yesterday. To find out those things… and how he found them out…. I wanted to rip Alice a new one. The anger I felt couldn't be put into words.

I got out of my bed to face the inevitable day. I had to help Jasper with a lot of damage control and it was going to take several cups of coffee to get me to a point of being useful. I tiptoed into the hallway, careful not to wake Jasper. Once I got into view of the living room, I saw that he wasn't asleep. He sat on the couch, hands folded, looking down. He looked so...broken. My heart ached for him.

"Hey" I greeted quietly, alerting him to my presence.

He looked and gave a weak smile. "Hey"

I took a couple of steps closer and said, "I was about to put on a pot of coffee. Care for some?"

"Sounds good, darlin'." He sounded weak, but nothing could turn off Jasper's southern charm.

I made my way into the kitchen and set the coffee pot. While it perked, I got out the cups and fixed them how Jasper and I preferred. I also started pulling out food for breakfast. I knew that neither one of us felt like eating, but we would need to with the day ahead of us.

Once the smell of eggs frying filled the kitchen, I heard footsteps come into the kitchen.

"Want me to pour the cups?" I heard Jasper ask.

"Sure, thanks," I replied.

I plated the foot and turned to face Jasper, who was already sitting at the kitchen bar.

I put a plate in front of him, to which he responded with, "While I appreciate-"

I cut him off. "No, Jazz. You need to eat. We have a lot to do today and you will eventually get hungry."

He nodded and then picked up a fork. We ate in silence. I wanted to break it but didn't want Jasper to feel like he had to talk. Thankfully. Jasper took care of the problem.

"My bank has Saturday hours of 9-12. I will start there first. I need to go by the house, but… I really don't want to see Alice…

"I will be with you every step of the way. If you want to me to go in the house and get some particular items so you don't see her, I can do that. Anything you need me to do, just ask."

"Thanks, Bella. You're a great friend." He said with a smile.

"You've always been there for me. It's what friends do for each other."

We shortly adjourned to get ready for the day and then headed out to our first stop, the bank.

"So you're telling us that there is absolutely nothing that can be done about the money withdrawn? There isn't some sort of policy about contacting members when a joint account is cleaned out?" I said firmly.

We had been here for twenty minutes and none of the news had been good. Just as expected, nothing could be done about the money Alice could legally take everything since it was a joint account. It didn't mean I had been nice about it though. Jasper had remained calm the entire time, but I think he was still in shock over the situation.

"No, ma'am." The clerk answered, looking somewhat apologetic.

I let out a huff. I knew the clerk couldn't do anything else, but it didn't help my frustration.

"Okay, what do I need to do to set up my own account? And how do I take my name of the joint account?" Jasper asked.

We then went through the proper procedures which included a mandatory $50 deposit in this new account. I handed over the cash, which Jasper wasn't happy about. But the truth of the situation was that he didn't even have enough money to open a new account, thanks to the bitch that was Alice.

After getting everything squared away at the bank, we headed to our next stop- the furniture store. It was actually more of a wood work shop that made everything from beds to carved wooden statutes. Everything was hand made by the family that owned the store and was absolutely beautiful. It was a small but successful business. The prices were fair also. We ended up getting a captain's bed since it had built in drawers underneath. Jasper and I then got a mattress at a nearby store. Both bed and mattress would be delivered later in the day.

"I appreciate all that you are doing for me, but I hate that you are spending all this money on me," Jasper stated in the car.

"Jasper, I am more than happy to help you out and all these purchases have been necessary. And we saved money getting a captain's bed because now you can hold off on getting a dresser."

"And I thank you for helping me out, but I will pay you back one day."

"You wouldn't be a true Southern gentleman if you didn't." I teased.

It earned me a smile from Jasper which made my heart leap. I knew the smile wouldn't last long since our next stop was Alice's house. We were about ten minutes away when my phone rang and Rosalie's name lit up the screen.

"Hello," I answered.

"Hey. Do you know where Jasper is?" Rose asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah, he is sitting next to me in my car. Why?"

"Give the phone to him." She stated, sounding a little ticked off.

"Here," I said handing the phone to Jasper. "It's Rose."

"Hello," Jasper answered after putting the phone to his ear. He immediately winced. Rose must be yelling.

"I'm sorry, Rose. My phone broke and-"

Rose must have cut him off.

I tried to not to eavesdrop, but it was it was basically impossible not to since we were confined to the car. I tried to distract me myself by thinking about when Jasper first moved to Forks. We were both twelve at the time. Jasper had lived in Texas with his mother since he was born. His parents were never married, and Jasper's dad ran off as soon Jasper's mom told him she was pregnant. Jasper never meets his dad and his mom gave him her maiden name, Whitlock, as his last name. When Jasper was ten, his mom got sick and then died two years later. He almost went into foster care, but the system first looked for another family. Jasper then found out he had an aunt in Washington. Apparently, his mother had a sister which Jasper never knew about. His aunt never knew about Jasper either. Jasper's mom had left Forks, Washington right out of high school and cut off all communication with her family. Jasper never knew why either. His aunt, named Maria, immediately took him in when she found out about Jasper. She married a man named Royce Hale and they had a daughter named Rosalie. She and Jasper were the same age and honestly could pass as twins. They bonded as cousins, but in all honestly acted more like brother and sister. Rose and I were never close in school, but when Jasper came to town that changed. We all three were friends and grew very close. When Jasper and I left to go to college in Seattle, it was hard to leave Rose. She opted to stay in Forks since she got engaged to Emmett McCarty right out of high school. They are still happily married with three kids.

Hearing Jasper saying his goodbyes to Rose, pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry about that," Jasper stated while handing back my phone.

"It's okay," I replied.

"Rose just got really worried. After I couldn't get in touch with you last night, I called her but only got the voicemail. Later that night, when I found out that Alice cleaned out the bank account and maxed out the credit cards, I got angry and threw my phone and accidentally broke it. Rose has been trying to call me and got worried when she couldn't get in touch with me. I told her what happened with Alice and it's safe to say she isn't happy."

"I bet." I wouldn't want to be on Rose's bad side, that was for sure.

"Yeah, definitely don't want her and Alice in the same room for awhile."

More like ever…. "You said you broke your phone?" Jasper nodded. "Well, we need to get you a new one tomorrow. I would say today, but I don't know if we will have enough time."

"Bella, I can hold off on a phone for awhile. It's no big deal."

"So when Rose drives all way the way from Forks when you she can't reach you again, are you really prepared to face the consequences?"

"You do have a point." He conceded.

"I'm surprised she didn't drive down her today."

"Oh, she was about to. She said if you didn't know where I was, she was going to come here. After I told her about the Alice situation, she was two seconds away from jumping in the car anyway."

I chuckled. You got to love Rose.

We pulled up to Alice and Jasper's house, well it was now Alice's. The first thing I noticed was boxes upon boxes stacked on the front porch. I glanced over at Jasper and he had a pained expression on his face. Alice had already boxed up his things or was in the process of boxing it up. It hadn't even been a day yet.

"You can stay in the car if you want," I suggested.

"No, I need to face her. Having you here will help me though." Jasper answered, adding a smile on the last part.

"Let's do this," I said before exiting the vehicle.

Jasper and I didn't make to the top step before the front door swung open.

"Perfect timing," Alice stated, looking at Jasper. She shifted her gaze to me. "I should have figured you would be tagging along." She said with distaste. Have I mentioned how much I hate this bitch?

"We are here for my belongings, not conversation," Jasper stated, his voice even.

"Well, all of your clothes and shoes are here in these boxes." Alice gestured to the boxes on her right. "Everything else that is solely yours is in these boxes." She then gestured to her left. "Anything that was jointly bought or owned I haven't boxed up." She stated.

"I do not want anything that was 'joint'. After I go through these boxes, if anything of mine is unaccounted for, I will come back for it." Jasper stated calmly. Calmer than I would have been.

"Of course, though I can assure you all of your stuff is here on the porch," Alice replied with a sickly, sweet smile. "Well, I will leave you two to load all this up. How many trips do you think it will take?"

"As many as we need, Alice," Jasper stated, still calm. I was proud he was keeping his cool. Not many people would have stayed this calm after what Alice had put him through,

Alice rolled her eyes and muttered something unintelligible before going back in the house.

"You ready?" I asked Jasper.

"You betcha, darlin'."

It took two trips. We packed the trunk and back seats of my car, so we could get it done as quick as possible. On the last trip, Jasper got his motorcycle out of the garage. He didn't get to ride it much, due to Alice. He said he planned to change that now. I also didn't trust that Alice wouldn't try to sell it or something crazy. He had to park it in the guest parking space of my apartment complex, along with his car. The guest parking spaces were clear on the other side of my building which is how I didn't see his car the night before. The front office was closed today, but I would put Jasper on the lease as soon as possible, so he could get an actual parking space along with a parking sticker.

We spent the rest of the day rearranging the apartment. We moved everything out of my office and put it in my bedroom or the living room. We then turned the office into Jasper's bedroom. The bed and mattress got delivered in the evening and we set that up.

I was helping Jasper unpacking boxes when I had to ask the question that had been on my mind all day. "How is that all of your stuff fit on the front porch? I've seen the inside of you and Alice's house. You have to have more stuff than this. Don't get me wrong. If you had anything else, it probably wouldn't fit in my apartment, but I can't believe that this is all your things when you and Alice had a decent sized house."

"Alice overtook a lot of the house. The house became more of hers than mine awhile ago. While there are some things left there that are mine, they fall into the 'joint' category and I don't want them. Even if I did have a remote interest in them, it wouldn't be worth the fight with Alice."

"True, I do see your point," I answered. And I honestly agreed with him. Anything that was "theirs" was tainted in a way.

"Alright, how about we call it day. The rest of the boxes can wait until tomorrow." Jasper stated.

"Okay. You hungry? We never had a lunch and it is past seven now."

"I am hungry actually. You want to join forces and cook dinner together?" Jasper asked with a hint of a smile.

"Sure. I usually don't have an assistant chef. It will be a nice change." I answered with a smile.

"Assistant? More like, I would be the head chef and you could assist." Jasper said in a teasing tone.

"Oh come one," I said dramatically.

Jasper laughed. In that moment, it was easy to forget the craziness that had ensued in the last twenty-four hours. We made dinner together and chatted about things non-Alice related. It was like old times and I felt lighter. Jasper smiled and laughed and I knew that he would be okay. This whole fuck up with Alice was a stumbling block, but he would get through it and I would help him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: Sorry that I have been MIA for the past two months. Real life has been a whirl wind so I have not been able to write or post. Things are dying down, sort of, so hopefully I can go back to updating once a week (and maybe sooner).**

 **This chapter has not been betad** **(pretty sure I no longer have one)** **so mistakes are my own.**

* * *

Chapter 4

It was now Sunday. After Jasper and I made dinner and chatted, it gave me hope that things would get better for him. I forced myself out of bed and after an internal debate between shower or coffee first, I settled on a shower. After getting dressed, I embarked on getting my caffeine fix. Making my way into the kitchen, I saw Jasper sitting at the breakfast bar while talking on the phone.

"Yeah, two o'clock works great. Let me give you the address." Jasper then proceeded to give whoever was on the other end of phone my- well, our- address. "See you then. Bye."

I wanted to ask what the call was about, but my words were failing me. Jasper saw my confused expression and volunteered the information.

"I'm having a guy come by to look at my bike." He stated casually.

"Oh, is something wrong with it? Will it not start or something?" I asked.

"No, I am trying to sell it."

That surprised me. "What?!" I asked, a little too loudly.

Jasper was now the one with the confused expression. "Bella…"

"Jazz, you love that bike. Why are you selling it?" I protested.

Jasper let out a sigh and then began. "First off, I need the cash…"

"I can-" I started to interrupt, but Jasper took back the reins of the conversation.

"Bella, I will not borrow any more money from you. I appreciate everything you have done and are still doing, but I need to do this."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Jasper continued talking. "Bella, we live in Seattle so the weather isn't the best to ride in and it needs to be stored indoors. And before you offer to rent one of those storage things, the answer is no. I don't need the bike. I have loved having it, but it is honestly something I can part with. I can always buy another one sometime in the future."

I let out a breath. "Okay." I relented.

Jasper chuckled and said, "Didn't know I needed your approval, but it's appreciated anyway." , adding a smile after.

"Ha Ha. It's just… I didn't want the bike to be another thing Alice took away from you."

"She hasn't," Jasper replied with a sigh.

"I understand that, now. If you want to sell it, then I promise not to bitch about it."

"Thanks, Darlin'." And Jasper chuckled, again.

I couldn't help but smile. He was in a good mood regardless of the shit that had gone down.

We made brunch seeing as it was almost 11 o'clock. I then worked on my book while Jasper continued to unpack. The hours ticked by and it was nearing 2 o'clock when I jumped up and yelled.

"Yes!" I said with victory.

Jasper jumped from his seat a little. It looked like he had been writing or reading something. "What's got you jumping for joy?" He asked with a smile.

"I'm done!" I yelled.

"With the book?"

"Yes!" I replied excitedly. "I'll read it through two or three times before Wednesday just to be absolutely sure, but I am done! Ahh!"

Jasper got up and enveloped me in a hug and even twirled me around. A little over the top, but I didn't care.

"That's great! You're meeting your publisher Wednesday, right?"

"Yeah. I have been sending her drafts, but nothing with the ending. I can't believe it! I was struggling with how to end it, but it finally just clicked. I'll read the whole book a few times to make sure it flows and to look for any errors, but content wise, it feels done and complete."

"I'm happy for ya' darlin'. I know you have been working really hard on this book, especially since it's a sequel to your first one." Jasper seemed genuinely happy for me. He knew how much this meant to me. It wasn't just my career, but something that I was really passionate about.

Looking at this watch, Jasper said, "The guy should be here any minute to look at the bike. I am going to head down there now, but when I am done we will celebrate."

Jasper left and I basked in the afterglow feeling of accomplishment. I had been trying to figure out the ending to the book for awhile. I had written and then rewritten, but nothing felt right, until now. My publisher would definitely be happy. I was ahead of schedule and would still have time to review and proof even after Wednesday.

Fifteen minutes later Jasper was back in the apartment with what looked like a bundle of cash.

"It sold?" I asked.

"Yep. The guy even paid in cash. I will put it in the bank tomorrow, in my new account, but first…" Jasper then proceeded to count out hundreds. He then handed me a wad of cash.

"Jazz…."

"Bella, this is me paying you back for the bed, mattress, bank deposit, and my half of the rent for this month. It is the fifth of the month so I know you paid rent last week. Take the money."

I took it, even if I wasn't thrilled. "You didn't have to pay me back right away."

"I know, but I wanted to. I also have a good chunk left over that will hold me over till my next pay check."

"I see your point. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to sell your bike so you could pay me back."

"That's not why I sold it. I hardly ride it and really can't due to the weather around here. So after thinking it over last night, I knew it was the best choice to sell it. I can also buy another phone since I broke mine. Also, there are the bills that might not have gotten paid because of Alice…"

"Okay, I see your point. But please don't stress over the money issue, too much that is. I am your friend and more than willing to give you some leeway until you get back on your feet."

"I know, and I appreciate everything you have done for me, Bella. I just… feel like I need to take responsibility for where I am at."

I snorted. "I'm pretty sure the responsibility and fault fall on Alice."

"While she had a major part, I still married her. I still put up with a lot that I shouldn't. And while she has majorly fucked me over, I have to deal with the repercussions since I got myself in the situation."

"I think you are being a little too hard on yourself."

"Maybe… Well, how about we go to the store so I can get a phone?" Jasper asked, immediately lighting the mood.

"Let me get my coat," I replied with a smile.

After getting Jasper a phone, we headed home and organized the apartment a little more now that Jasper was completely unpacked. Jasper then insisted on cooking dinner himself. He said it was because we were celebrating the finishing of my second book. We ate dinner and chatted. Jasper even indulged me in playing cards. After many hands and me kicking Jasper's ass, we called it a night. Tomorrow was a school day which meant Jasper had to be up early for work.

The next day I didn't wake up till Jasper had already left. I did some laundry, emailed my editor, and started proofreading my book. Later in the evening, I heard the door open and knew it was Jasper.

"Hey" I greeted.

"Hey," Jasper replied, but I could tell something was on his mind.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…."

I raised my eyebrow.

Jasper let out a breath. He knew that I knew him too well.

"I got served the divorce papers today."

"At the school?" I asked in surprise.

"Yep. Right before I was about to leave, so all the students were gone and it didn't cause a scene or anything. I was just surprised…"

My stomach dropped. "Weren't you going to file for divorce anyway?" I asked with caution.

"Yeah, I was. The thing is, it takes time. Even if Alice spoke with a lawyer today, there was no way she could file and have a judge sign off it and it go out for service."

"Oh…" I hadn't thought about that.

"So that means she had been planning this for awhile now. She had already filed before she even told me Friday that she was having an affair. She has been planning all this for awhile now. I am happy about the filing, but it is a slap in the face that she has been planning so much behind my back for awhile now."

"Oh Jazz." I got up and did the only thing I could think to do in a moment like this, I hugged him.

He returned the embrace. "I am such an idiot…" He mumbled.

"You're not an idiot. Alice is a conniving bitch. She has lied to you since the beginning, so how were you supposed to know what the truth was."

"Maybe."

Our hug ended.

"There were some other papers with the divorce papers," Jasper stated in a huff.

"What kind of papers?"

"Things like what to settle during the waiting period for the divorce. Washington is a no-fault state. So after a divorce has been filed and served, it takes ninety days before it's finalized. Alice's lawyer wrote up propositions for the house and cars."

"Anything about the joint bank account?"

Jasper snorted. "Yeah, that I could have it. Which means nothing but maybe a bunch of overdraft fees."

"Bitch."

"Don't I know it," Jasper said under his breath.

"What are you going to do?"

"The lawyer had a memo for a meeting to discuss and negotiate"

"When?"

"This Friday."

"And they just expect you to attend with such short notice after everything has been dropped on you at once?" I was pissed. No, I was down right livid.

"Apparently so. I will talk to the school tomorrow about me being there only a half-day Friday. I really want to get this negotiation crap over with and not drag it out for the next three months." Jasper paused. "Okay, enough with the Alice bitch storm. Tell me about your day while we make dinner together?" He asked.

"Sure."

Then we talked, laughed, and forgot about the fucked up situation even if it was just for a few hours.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next two days passed and Jasper and I fell into a comfortable routine. Jasper was normally gone to work by the time I was awake, but he still texted me around lunch to ask me how my day was going. I would work on proofing my book while he was at school; when he came home we would talk and cook dinner together. We hadn't spoken more about his divorce and the fucked up situation with Alice and lawyers. We just enjoyed ourselves and lived each day as it came. Jasper looked happier and I saw a spark in his eyes that I hadn't seen in years. It reminded me of the pre-Alice and pre-Edward days. We never really drifted in our friendship, but his marriage and my old relationship with Edward definitely took time away from each other and our focuses were on our relationships/marriages at the time.

Now he was getting divorced, I was single, and it felt like old times. The problem was I was living with the knowledge that I was in love with Jasper. I had come to the realization when I was in a relationship Edward and it was why I broke up with him. It wasn't fair to Edward. I realized if I stayed with him that I would be emotionally cheating on him. I knew I had to end things before things got even more serious, like marriage. Then Jasper got married suddenly and I was crushed. I didn't go back to Edward though. I wasn't over Jasper and I'm still not. I have berated myself and basically hated myself at times, because he was married and I had non-platonic feelings for him. Now he was getting divorced, and was my roommate. While I was happy he was here with me, it took a little toll on my emotions. I was in love with my best friend, who was getting a divorce and was now my roommate. I wouldn't act on my feelings though. At least not right now….

It was now Wednesday, the day of my meeting with my editor/publisher. When the devil's creation, A.K.A. my alarm clock went off, it took every ounce of strength I had to actually get up. I stayed up too late the night before. It didn't help that my mind wouldn't shut off. I went through the motions of getting ready and before I knew it I was fully dressed with makeup and hair done. I ventured out of my bedroom to get coffee before leaving. I was assaulted with the smell of heavenly, caffeine goodness. In the kitchen, I found a fresh pot of coffee and a note from Jasper. He wished me luck with my meeting and explained that he set the timer for the coffee maker so that I would have fresh coffee upon waking up. My eyes began to tear up. I don't know why I was getting emotional. Jasper did sweet things for me all the time. It was what friends did for each other. But the fact that I wanted to read something more into it, wanted there to be a deeper meaning, stung a little. Could he ever return my feelings?

I made up a to-go mug and set out for my meeting. I was on time and actually alert and focused, thanks to my caffeine fix. I checked in with my publisher/editor's secretary, who told me to take a seat while I waited. I checked my phone and saw a text from Jasper

 _Good luck with your meeting. I look forward to hearing about it over dinner. I'll pick up Chinese for us. -J_

I couldn't help but smile. Before I could over analyze anything, my editor/publisher called me back for our meeting. Heidi was actually the granddaughter of the CEO of Volturi Publishing. She could very well be in a different (and higher ranking) position of the company. But she told me in our first meeting that she liked to have a hands on approach with the writes; she likes to meet personally with even upcoming writers such as myself that are not very well known. We discussed my final draft of my second book that I sent two days prior. She had several people look at it so far, and others were currently reading it. Overall, no major changes so far and they wanted it in print for the summer. It was February and I was a little surprised. My first book took longer to hit shelves.

"Bella, I would also like to discuss book signings."

"Book signings? Like…. me signing books? In public?" I choked out.

She chuckled. "Yes, Bella you. You are the author after all."

"I don't know…. "

"It would help with P.R. and the success of your new book. We would start locally and then a few other locations but still remain on the West Coast. Nothing huge. It would be ten cities top and five of those would in Washington. "

"I don't know…. I am not good at being the center of attention."

"It would help with the promotion and success of your book. I know it is not part of your contract, but I highly recommend it. My suggestion would be to do a small signing at a local bookstore in April. It would be for your first book and we could promote the sequel being released this summer. If all goes well, then we can proceed with the book signings in the summer right after the sequel is in print. It would raise sales, especially for hard copies."

I thought for a moment. "I'll agree to the book signing in April. Can I think about the summer tour?"

"Sure. I will go ahead and have some stores secured. If you choose to not proceed with the summer tour then I will give the spots to another author. Let me know as soon as possible though so we have plenty of time to advertise the tour."

"Okay."

We discussed a few other things and scheduled a meeting two weeks before the book signing in April. I made my way home and saw snow flurries as I pulled into my parking spot. After I was in the warm apartment, I texted Jasper to let him know I was home. I also warned him about the possibility of snow and to drive safely. I changed into some comfier clothes and felt exhaustion take over. I grabbed a blanket and cuddled on the couch. I was watching a medical show where the current patient was a cowboy. I couldn't help but compare him to Jasper whose accent was actually authentic. Somewhere in-between lab procedures and bad nurses, I drifted off to sleep.

"Bella."

I groaned and rolled over. Why was Jasper calling me in my dreams?

"Bella"

Stupid medical show with stupid cowboys making me dream of Jasper.

"Bella."

You really need to get a handle on yourself Bella. Dreaming about Jasper will only hurt you later.

"Bella"

Oh, what the hell.

"Mmmm sexy cowboy," I mumbled.

"You must be having a good dream." Then I heard laughter. Fuck. Jasper's voice was not in my dreams. It was coming from my apartment!

I shot straight up from the couch in a sitting position. I could feel the heat on my face.

"You are tomato red, Bella. Just what kind of dream were you having." Jasper said, still laughing.

"Uhh…" I couldn't put a clear sentence together.

And Jasper continued laughing…. Fucking wonderful.

"Come on, Bella. I brought food as promised." Jasper then turned and went into the kitchen.

I tried to get a grip on my pounding heart and got up. There was no way Jasper would think I was dreaming of him, right?

I could still feel a tinge of heat on my cheeks when I joined Jasper in the kitchen. That's when I noticed the snow outside. It was more than flurries at this point, a hell of a lot more.

Jasper must have noticed me staring at the window. "It's really coming down. If it keeps up like this throughout the night, they might cancel school."

"It looks like a freaking blizzard outside!"

Jasper chuckled. "You should be used to the snow by now, Bella. How many years has it been since you moved away from Arizona?"

"Haha," I said sarcastically, "You are so funny Mr. Texas. Rosalie told me you freaked out your first winter in Washington."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Rose exaggerates. Come on let's watch a movie while we eat. Oh! How about The Shining?!"

"So I can stay up all night wondering if you're going to turn homicidal due to the blizzard outside? No. Not happening."

"Oh, come on." Jasper teased.

"Pick something else or I will put in a girly movie."

Jasper wrinkled his nose. "You hate girly movies just as much as I do."

"Uh, You got me. I still can picture Rose's face when she found out I had never seen The Notebook."

Jasper laughed.

We settled on an action film we had seen countless times, but we weren't five minutes in before Jasper asked me about my meeting. I told him about my book hitting shelves by the summer which he was excited about. Then I told him my issue at hand.

"They want me to do a bunch of book signings." I sighed.

"Bella, that is a good thing. Right?"

"Yeah… but I don't know if I want to do it…. I agreed to a local one in April. But…. I haven't given her my answer about West Coast Tour she wants me to do during the summer when my new book is out. It's not in my contract so I don't have to, but they highly recommend it."

Jasper put his food down and scooted closer to me. "Bella this sounds like a great opportunity. This would really help with promoting the new book and the overall success."

"That is what Heidi said…" I mumbled while staring at my lap.

"So what is the problem?" He asked gently.

"Jasper, you know I'm not exactly a people person. I'm shy. I'm also horrible at public speaking. I-"

"Bella, you won't be speaking to the mass of people as a whole. People will meet you one on one and it will be brief. You will sign books and smile. Your readers may even be nervous about meeting you."

"Maybe….. what if I don't measure up to their expectations?"

"You will be fine. You actually inspire young people. Your book features a strong, independent teenage girl who overcomes her problems. That is inspirational to young people. I actually had a student bring it up in a counseling session once."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. You have the ability to influence young people's lives."

I snorted. "No pressure."

"You know what I mean. Your books are making a difference which is one the reason you got into writing- to inspire and motivate others. Also since it is during the summer, I can tag along, I could be your own personal Prozac to calm you down when you get overwhelmed."

"Yeah." I giggled then got a serious again. "Thanks, Jazz" I pulled him into a hug.

"Anytime Bells."

I released him from the hug. "Do I get charged for this counseling session?" I joked.

He laughed. "Nah. Just give me a sneak peek of your new book."

"Never!" I yelled dramatically while throwing my head back.

We laughed, we ate, and we talked. The snow eventually stopped. The next morning the school wasn't closed but did have a two-hour delay. Jasper and I make pancakes and enjoyed the slow morning. After Jasper left for work, I got out my cell phone and dialed Volturi Publishing.

"Hello. Heidi… I want to the summer book tour."

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 **Author Note:**

 **Fun fact- I have never seen The Notebook. And yes I have had some surprised reactions. I have seen The Shining though. Next time you're snowed in with company, I recommend watching it late at night with all the lights off.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: If you follow my Facebook page then you understand my absence was due to me battling pneumonia. For those interested, search "Mb1000 Fanction" on Facebook to find my FB page. I also have a link on my profile. While we are on the subject of my FB page, I have a poll on my profile where you can vote for what you want to see posted on the Facebook page! There are seven options and you can make up to three selections.**

 **Also this is not betad. I do not have a beta as of right now and probably won't have one for awhile.**

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Chapter 6

Heidi was very happy to hear that I agreed to do the summer book tour.

"Wonderful Bella! This will help so much with the marketing of your second book. You already have a fan base, but advertising the book tour will potentially gain new readers as well. You have quite a bit of young adult readers, who love to meet the author and get a signed copy of the book. Let me talk to some people, but I think it would be a great idea to release the hard copy of the books first, and then release the digital copy after the book tour. Oh! Maybe even have exclusive releases at the bookstores you are signing at. Let me talk to some people and I will give you a call next week. I will email you the proposed dates of the tour tomorrow. Let me know if there are any issues with the dates as soon as possible. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, can I bring someone along during the book tour?" I asked cautiously.

"Like a boyfriend?"

"No, he is just a really good friend. He would come for moral support." I answered.

"It shouldn't be a problem. Hmmm…. Do you think he would be interested in freelancing with Volturi Publishing?"

"Freelancing how?" I asked.

"During book tours, we need personnel to help with the distribution of books that are for purchase, set up of the book signings, aiding the writer during the signings, and overall making sure people don't get rowdy or make the writer uncomfortable. The company has a list of freelancers they use, but always hire additional during the summer. Your friend could be the table help. He would stay with you during the signing and assist you how you need. He would get paid per signing he helps with. Do you think he would be interested?"

"Most likely." I was pretty sure Jasper would be all for it. He could use the money after the Alice fiasco, but I still wanted to talk with him first.

"Great! Discuss it with him and let me know as soon as possible. These positions do fill up quickly, but I would rather have someone there to help you that makes you feel comfortable and at ease. It would make the book signings and the overall tour a better success. Your friend would need to attend a training session that we do once a month if he does agree."

"Okay, I will talk with him today. I should be able to give you an answer tomorrow, but it would be next week at the latest."

"Great. I have a meeting I need to get to, but we will be in touch soon."

We said our goodbyes and hung up.

I went ahead and cleaned up around the house since I had some free time. I caught up on laundry and even made a grocery list for later in the week. Before I knew it, Jasper was home from work. After he got settled in, I told him about the conversation with Heidi and her proposition.

"I'll do it," Jasper said.

"Just like that? You don't want to talk with Heidi first or anything?"

"I have a few questions, but I don't see why I wouldn't accept the position. I am tagging along anyway, but this way I can make some money too, which I need."

"I had the same line of thinking too, but wanted to talk with you first before I signed you up for something."

"And that I do appreciate, darlin'. Tell you what. Give me your publisher/editor, whatever she is, phone number. I will talk with her and get it squared away."

I laughed. "She is a little bit of everything. She takes her job to a whole nether level." I scrolled through the contacts on my phone and pulled up the information. "Here it is." I then looked at the clock and said, "She may even still be at the office."

While Jasper made his phone call, I got up and started prep on dinner. I hummed while chopping peppers, but tried not to get lost in my own little world. The last thing I needed was an Emergency Room visit because I sliced my finger off.

"So.."

I jumped at Jasper's voice but managed not to inflict bodily harm on myself in the process.

"Don't you know not to sneak up on me in the kitchen," I said while pointing the knife in Jasper's direction.

He put his hand up in mock surrender. "Sorry darlin'. If I agree to help, will you forgive me?"

"Only if you chop everything else while I start mixing the seasoning."

"Agreed," he replied with a smile.

We worked in silence for a while, but then Jasper spoke up.

"So I have a favor to ask?" He seemed a little nervous.

"Shoot."

"I have the meeting with Alice and her lawyer tomorrow…And I was wondering if you would come with me."

"Of course I will Jasper. Don't consider this me doing you a favor either. I am more than happy to come. I can also kick Alice's ass if you want."

He chuckled. "Yeah, that is kind of what I am afraid of. Promise you won't get arrested tomorrow?" He joked.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. I will just leave the ass kicking to Rose."

We both laughed. Rose could be quite scary when she wanted to.

"Speaking of Rose, I was thinking of visiting her, Emmett and the kids during Spring Break. I have the week off since the school closed."

"They would like that," I stated with a smile.

"You want to come with? Maybe visit your dad? Neither one of us has been to Forks in a while."

It was true. I hadn't been to Forks in almost a year. I would like to blame the five-hour drive, but honestly, I had been avoiding it. My dad worried about me after I broke up Edward. I hadn't been in an actual relationship since, which was soon approaching two years.

"Yeah," I answered. "It would be nice to see my dad and visit everyone."

"Great."

Friday. The day Jasper was meeting with Alice and her lawyer. And I was tagging along. I was picking up Jasper from the school at noon and then we were heading to the meeting.

The car ride there Jasper was quiet and I could tell he was anxious. His leg was bobbing up and down which he only did when he was really nervous or anxious. I reached over and gently put a hand on his knee to stop the bouncing.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"I don't mind the car bouncing like we are in a 90's rap video but…" That got me a smile out of Jasper. "…I am more concerned about what is running through that head of yours that has got you so wound up."

He took a deep breath and then said, "Alice."

Oh. I figured.

"I really don't want to see her. It's inevitable since we are going through a divorce. I guess…. It still hurts. Alice and I haven't been in love for a long time, if ever, but the pain is still there. I changed so much of my life to accommodate her and her wants. And for what? For her to announce that the reason we got married was a lie? That everything about our relationship and marriage was lies and deceit? And to top it off, she has been cheating and leaving me for a guy because he can do better?"

I was momentarily at a loss for words. Jasper had appeared happy and to be doing well. I knew he was still hurting to a degree, but I wasn't sure at what level.

"I'm sorry…" Jasper said while blowing out a breath.

"What do you have to sorry for?" I asked softly.

"For getting upset. For pulling you into this fucked up situation that is my life."

I reached over and grabbed his hand. "Jasper you are my friend, my best friend. You have helped me through tough times. You've held me when I cried and told me everything would be okay. You have been that shoulder for my to lean on and…. It's okay that now you need to lean on my shoulder. That is what friends do for each other." And I meant every word.

"Thank you, Bella," Jasper said softly. He looked so broken. Alice did some serious damage to him. I didn't realize how bad he was hurting. I don't think even Jasper himself knew how much he was hurting till now.

Shortly after our heart to heart, we arrived at Alice's lawyer's office. I could tell Jasper was still a ball of nerves, but he wasn't as high strung. We approached the secretary to inform them we were here for the meeting, but only for her to inform us that the meeting had been rescheduled.

"What do you mean it has been rescheduled?" Jasper asked, who was now looking pretty angry.

"Mr. Jenks had another case take priority so your meeting was rescheduled."

"What wasn't I informed then?"

"I called the phone number your wife provided yesterday." Alice, of course.

"And what number was that?" Jasper asked, clearly getting more annoyed by the second.

She rattled off Jasper's old phone number.

"That is not my current number," Jasper said slowly.

"Well, I will update the information then. What is the new number?"

Jasper practically spat out the numbers. He was losing his cool. It wasn't this woman's fault for the mix-up. Alice had no doubt purposely gave the wrong number.

"Any other changes to your information?" She asked.

"No," Jasper answered coldly. I had to get him out here and the sooner the better.

"Thank you," I told the secretary and grabbed Jasper to leave.

He was mumbling expletives and I swear I saw smoke coming out of his ears. Once we got in the car, he was more vocal.

"That fucking bitch!"

Yep, glad I got him out when I did. Jasper rarely lost his cool, but when he did…. Well it wasn't pretty.

"She just has to keep doing things to fuck up my life."

I held my tongue. It was best to let him out his feels completely before trying to calm him down. He continued to call Alice every name in the book and then some. Once the tirade was over, I spoke.

"It sucks, I know, but you can't keep letting her control her life."

"How was I supposed…"

I cut in. "Your emotions. You know that is what I meant. You're angry, and rightly so, but that doesn't mean you let the emotions control you."

"I-"

"Don't argue with me, Jasper. You were two seconds away from biting that secretary's head off.

"Jasper let out a breath, and then leaned his head back with his eyes closed. It was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"You've been saying that a lot today." I snorted.

"Yeah…." There was a pause before he continued. "I know I need to reign in my emotions. Hell, I tell teenagers on practically a daily basis to not be ruled by their emotions. And here I am…"

"You were upset. It's okay, but it is my duty as your friend to let you know when you're starting to lose yourself. " I said softly.

Jasper turned to look at me. His eyes were watery and full of so much emotion. "Thank you, Bella. I know I have been saying that a lot today too…. But I mean it. I am so thankful to have you in my life." I smiled at him and squeezed his hand before we left to go home.

I knew the next few months would hard for Jasper.

He needed a friend to be there for him and I would be that friend.

* * *

 **Author Note: Just a reminder like and follow my Facebook page if interested. Also if you do follow my Facebook page, please vote for what you want to be posted. Poll is on my profile.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: Hey it's been a while! Sorry about the delay.**

* * *

April.

April was now here. No big deal right? Yeah, yeah it is a big deal.

April means book signing. My first ever book signing.

I didn't do any for my first book but since the sequel is coming out… well, it's kind of a big deal.

I don't know how I am going to the handle the summer book tour if I am this nervous and anxious before each one...

"Bella, calm down darlin'."

"Don't you darling' me!" I said to Jasper, trying to impersonate his Texas accent, but in reality, I sounded like a dying cat.

He raised an eyebrow at me.

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm nervous."

"Which is why you need to calm down. At the rate you're going, you'll pass out from exhaustion or make a hole in the floor with all out that pacing."

"Ha ha ha. You're funny." I shot back sarcastically.

"I'm funny and sexy. What can I say." He joked but with a smirk on his face.

Gotta agree with that.

I checked the clock and it was time to go. I went to grab my keys but Jasper beat me to it.

"You are not driving missy. With how much you're wound up, we are asking to get into an accident."

"Fine." I huffed, not wanting to get into an argument.

We arrived at the bookstore much too soon. We were early since Jasper was helping set up. I used the time to calm down and by the time the signing started I was pretty chill. Well as chill as I can be with all the attention on me.

Two hours and countless books later, the book signing was wrapping up. Jasper said in 15 minutes they would start tearing down, so the people in line were the last readers allowed. I had just got done signing a local high school girl's copy. She was a student at the school Jasper worked at and couldn't believe that "Mr. Whitlock knew Isabella Swan." I had just got done wishing her well when a velvety voice spoke.

A velvety voice that I hadn't heard in two years.

"Hello, Bella."

I looked up to meet his green eyes, eyes that were plagued with an emotion that I couldn't quite describe.

"Edward." I breathed out.

After uttering his name, I was frozen. I didn't know what to say even though one question stood out in my mind.

Why was he here?

"It's been a long time Bella." He said softly.

All I could do was nod.

"I can see that…. My presence here is a surprise." You can say that again. "I would like to speak with you if you are willing. I hate how things ended..."

"Edward…" We did not need to have this conversation here of all places.

"I know, I know this isn't the place for that conversation." He pulled out a business card and wrote something on the back. "This has my office phone, but I wrote my cell on the back." He said while handing me the card.

I took it but avoided eye contact.

"Bella."

My eyes snapped up to meet his. Well so much for not looking at him.

"I hope you call." And then he left.

I glanced over at Jasper who had kept his distance during the entire exchange. He looked to be in deep thought and was probably wondering what the hell just happened.

I signed the last few reader's books before the signing wrapped up. I was in a daze. Edward was here. I was still processing that bit of information. How did he know? Well, my name is on the book as the author...

I was seriously considering reprimanding myself for not writing under a pen name…..

"You okay?" I heard Jasper ask while I gathered up my things.

"Yeah," I said while checking my phone.

"Are you going to call him?"

I stiffened. The business card seemed to momentarily weigh a hundred pounds in my pocket.

"I… I don't know." I tried to make myself seem busy but Jasper wasn't having it.

He grabbed my chin and made me look him in the eye. "It's okay if you want to talk to him, to see him again."

"That's the thing… I don't know if I do…."

"You don't have to decide anything tonight Bella." He said while releasing my face.

"I know," I whispered.

"Let's go home."

Later that night I laid in my bed thinking over what happened. Edward came to my book signing. Edward sought me out. But why? He said he wanted to talk but what did he want to talk about now? It had been two years…. Things hadn't ended well…

 _Flashback….. 2 Years previously_

 _I sat in my living room waiting for Edward to arrive. I told him to meet me at my apartment after work which was normal enough. We spend a lot of time at each other's places even after work. I knew he could tell by my tone this morning though that something was off._

 _Five minutes later Edward walked in, take-out in hand._

 _"Hey. I brought dinner."_

 _My stomach was in knots and the thought of food made me nauseous._

" _I don't feel like eating right now," I said._

 _"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice full of concern._

 _"Yes. No. Umm..." I started to pace. How was I going to do this? This would crush him. I should have ended this sooner before it got serious. The knots in my stomach were getting the best of me._

 _"I'm going to be sick." I breathed out while I sitting down._

 _Edward's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Is it the food? The smell? I can…" He froze and his face changed into several emotions at once. "Bella… Bella, are you pregnant?" He whispered._

 _I shot up out of the chair. "What?! No!"_

 _"Oh.. It's just you've been acting nervous, strange even. Then you said you feel sick and I brought home food so…"_

 _"It's okay… Um.. No, I am not pregnant… But there is something I need to talk to you about."_

 _"Okay…."_

 _"Edward… I… I can't keep doing this."_

 _"What? What do you mean?"_

 _"Us. I can't….."_

 _"You're breaking up with me?" He asked out of breath, looking like I kicked him in the chest._

 _" I should have ended things a long time ago… before it got serious. I just thought with time I would…"_

 _"Would what?" He asked, now angry._

 _"Love you as much as you love me," I answered with my tears in my eyes._

 _"I don't understand… Are you saying you do love me or you don't?"_

 _"I do love you…. but it is nowhere near the same or depth of how you love me.."_

 _"What does that even mean?" He was yelling now and had every right to be._

 _"I can't keep being in this relationship knowing that one day marriage will happen. We are going to keep getting more and more serious and I can't"_

 _"Are you scared of marriage? Because we can wait. I haven't even proposed yet Bella…"_

 _"I know… but I can see it in your eyes… You want that…. And I can't give that to you."_

 _"Why?" He asked._

 _I knew I was going to break his heart and possibly shatter him completely._

 _"Because I love someone else," I whispered._

 _"What?" He looked so broken._

 _"I…"_

 _"You've been cheating on me!" He was angry now._

 _"No! No, I would never."_

 _"You just told me that you love someone else!" He spat._

 _"Nothing has happened." I pleaded._

 _"Oh, so you are ending things with me so you can go start a life with this other guy. Is that it?"_

 _"He doesn't know how I feel. He may not even love me back."_

 _"So you are going to end things with me and all for a chance with some guy that may or may not return your feelings."_

 _"You make it sound so…" I was full on crying._

 _"Bad? Wrong? Well, guess what? It is!" He yelled._

 _"Even if he doesn't return my feelings… I can't let you love me while I have these unsolved feelings towards him."_

 _"So what is it? Cut me loose and if he doesn't love you then you will come back and settle for me?"_

 _"No! It's not like that! Edward, please!"_

 _"Why drag me along? If you loved someone else?" He asked coldly._

 _"I didn't realize that I loved him till recently. When I did, I knew it was wrong for me to stay with you when I felt something for another man. I didn't want things to end badly. I wanted…"_

 _"To what? Stay friends? Have me stand to the side while you have your happily ever after with someone else."_

 _"Edward, please try to understand."_

 _"I understand all right." He grabbed his jacket._

 _"Goodbye, Bella. This will be the last time you see me." He then left, slamming the door on the way out._

 _I collapsed to the floor crying and stayed there till morning. I hated myself for hurting Edward. I deserved the pain I was feeling._

I _broke my lease and moved. My old apartment held too many memories. I avoided Jasper as the guilt ate me away. After a month of wallowing in my guilt, I decided to talk to Jasper. I knew there was a possibility he would hate me too. He knew Edward and I broke up but not the reason. I needed everything out in the open. I needed a clear conscious. He was with Alice, but I needed him to know how I felt. I got the shock of my life when Alice greeted me with an engagement ring. They had only been dating three months…. It was unexpected. It was... Life was getting back at me. I hurt Edward deeply and this was my penance, watching the man I love marry another woman. I cried but lied to Jasper and said it was because of the breakup with Edward. Alice was upset that I was putting a damper on her celebration of their engagement, but Jasper was sympathetic. I didn't tell him the truth about the breakup. I avoided him the entire time of his engagement and several months after the wedding. He finally demanded I pull myself out the funk or give him permission to beat up Edward. I reiterated once again that I was the one to end things, not Edward. He didn't believe me, but he didn't know the real reason for my behavior. So I buried my feelings to save my friendship._

 _End of flashback_

The tears continue to pour as I thought about everything that had transpired. I then was full on sobbing. At some point, Jasper came in and held me as I cried. I woke up the next morning to his arms still around me. My eyes felt puffy and I knew I probably looked a mess. I got up and went in the kitchen for coffee. Jasper followed shortly and we were enveloped in the silence for awhile. Jasper finally had enough.

"Are you going to talk about yesterday?" He asked.

"I was upset..."

"Bullshit! You were more than upset."

"Well, you didn't have to come in my room!" I yelled, getting defensive.

"And stay in my room and listen to you cry? I don't think so. I wanted to comfort you. I needed to comfort you!"

I was silent, not knowing how to respond.

"He obviously hurt you Bella…. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so upset."

"You don't know anything!" I yelled.

"Then enlighten me! Because you have refused to talk about what happened with Edward for two years!"

"I broke him! Okay! I broke the one person who has ever loved me. You didn't see him the day I tore his heart out! You don't know the guilt I have over that! Now he shows up and wants to talk! What the fuck am I supposed to think of that!" I was full blown yelling by the end of my rant.

Jasper looked stunned.

I was breathing heavy from being so worked up and felt like I could burst into tears at any moment.

"Bella… you need to talk to him. You need closure so you can let go of this guilt." Jasper said softly.

"I don't deserve it."

He walked up to me and held my face between his hands. "Yes, you do. You deserve to be happy."

I collapsed into his chest and he held me once again while I cried.

For the first time in a long time, I let go of some of the guilt.

* * *

 **Author Note: I know this was an emotional chapter but it needed to happen.**

 **I had to stop a few times as I felt crying.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note: If you follow my Facebook page then you kind of the understand the delay in updates.**

 **No beta and I know there is at least a mistake or two.**

* * *

BPOV

It was quiet. I let the smooth movements of the car ride sooth me. We were about halfway to Forks and Jasper and I hadn't engaged in much conversation. He knew I needed time to think so the silence was comfortable. It was Spring Break for the school Jasper worked at and we had previously planned to spend some time in Forks. My book signing happened to be the Saturday before. I was happy to be going to Forks even more now. It gave me a good excuse to not call Edward.

Well... to be honest, I was still undecided about if I was actually going to call him. After my break down in the kitchen yesterday, Jasper gave me my space for the rest of the day when I announced I needed to pack for the trip. When evening came around, the previous day's events started to get to me. As if on cue, Jasper knocked on my door and told me he made dinner. He conveniently had a Civil War documentary playing in the living room so conversation wasn't absolutely necessary. Jasper always knew what I needed…

"You want to stop for lunch? Get out and stretch our legs?" Jasper asked, bringing me back to the car ride.

"Sure," I responded.

I looked at the clock on the car dash. It was almost noon. We didn't leave until almost nine since there was no point in getting up early and then fighting with morning traffic.

Jasper stopped at a small diner and we were about halfway through lunch when I spoke.

"I've decided to call Edward."

Jasper looked up but didn't respond.

"I'm going to wait till after our trip from Forks though…. To call him," I added.

"Is there a particular reason you're waiting?" He asked in a soft voice.

"I don't see the point in calling sooner when I will be out of town for most of the week."

"Well, I am sure he is a busy person as are you. It may be good to call sooner to compare schedules so when you are back…."

"Is the psychology stuff you use on your students?" I teased, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Bella..." He said in his "counselor voice."

"I know, I know. You're looking out for my best interest….. Best friend duty and all…"

He laughed. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Our eyes meet and there was an emotion in Jasper's that I couldn't pinpoint. He then quickly looked away.

"Let's finish up and get back on the road." He stated.

"Okay, but I am driving."

He rolled his eyes but didn't protest.

Several hours later we were passing the "Welcome to Forks" sign. Charlie was still at work so we stopped by Rosalie and Emmett's house first.

"Uncle Jazz!" No sooner were we out of the vehicle before Lillian and Luke were running out the front door.

"Hey munchkins." He said while hugging them.

"I am not a munchkin. We will be six soon so I am too big for that nickname." Lillian stated proudly.

"My apologies little lady. What would be an appropriate nickname for you?"

Lillian looked deep in thought and then said, "Let me get back to you on that."

Jasper and I both laughed. Lillian was so much like her mother in attitude. She had her mother's blue eyes but her dad's curly hair. Her twin brother Luke had brown eyes like his dad but his mom's blond hair. They were both handfuls but overall good kids.

"So how are you enjoying your Spring Break so far?"

"Well it's only the first day but so far it's been great since you're here now." Lillian proclaimed.

"It`s even better now that you brought Bella. Mom said Aunt Alice wasn't coming and that made me really happy." Luke said.

I choked back a laugh.

"Luke! Mom and dad said we aren't supposed to talk about that. Besides they're getting a divorce so that means Alice is no longer our aunt."

"This day just got even better," Luke whispered.

I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped. Jasper glanced at me.

"Come on. You gotta love how honest kids are, especially those two."

"See! Bella is awesome! You really should marry her Uncle Jazz. She would be a great aunt."

And things just got awkward…. Luckily Rosalie saved us by coming outside.

"Lillian and Luke, give them some space. Let Uncle Jasper get his bags inside and don't be interrogating Bella non-stop."

"Momma, what does 'interrogating' mean?" Lillian asked before disappearing inside with Luke.

I quickly followed them so Jasper wouldn't see the blush still painted on my cheeks from Luke's comment. Jasper was close behind though as he only had one bag to get. My stuff would be going with me to Charlie's, where I would be staying for the week.

"Where's your bag, Bella?" Luke asked.

Oh, shit…. Did they think I was staying here?

"She's staying at her Dad's." Rosalie answered and then looked at me said, "By the way you are staying for dinner. I already invited Charlie."

"Will we see you at all Bella?" Lillian pouted. I hadn't spent a great deal around the twins, at least not in person. Whenever Jasper skyped with them, which was a weekly tradition, I would pop in the conversation for a few minutes.

I knelt beside her and Luke. "Yeah. I will be here till after dinner today. My dad is off work tomorrow and Thursday so I will spend those days with him. Wednesday though I can come over and hang out with you guys."

"Will you tell us good bye before you leave Friday?" Luke asked, giving me the puppy eyes.

"Of course."

"Yay!" Both twins hugged me before running off.

"You got your hands full Rose," Jasper said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I had them young so I would have the energy to keep up with them."

"I remember you announcing that you were pregnant at nineteen."

"I was married." Rose glared.

"Yeah, yeah. You know I'm messing with you. You and Emmett are perfect for each other."

"I know," Rose said with a smile.

I helped Rose with making dinner while Jasper entertained the kids in the other room.

"So when are you and Jasper going to admit that you're secretly in love with each other."

I dropped the knife on the counter that I was using to cut vegetables. Thank god I didn't cut myself. "Uhh. Um. What?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that shit Bella. It's clear as day that you are both are close."

"We're friends. Good friends."

"Bella, I could tell in high school that you guys loved each other. You both just didn't realize it."

"Rose, I-"

She pointed her finger at me and said, "Don't lie to me, Bella."

I sighed and then whispered, "I love him."

"Finally!" Rose exclaimed while throwing her hands up dramatically.

"It's not like I can do anything about it. He and Alice just separated and aren't even divorced yet. Not to mention we live together! He's my roommate."

"I'm just glad you finally admitted it yourself," Rose said with a wicked grin.

"I admitted it to myself a long time ago…"

Rose raised an eyebrow.

"You remember that guy Edward I dated?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"I realized I loved Jasper while I was with Edward."

"That's why you broke up," Rose stated more than asked.

"Yeah. I never told Edward it was Jasper I was in love with, just that I realized I loved someone else."

"So why didn't tell you, Jasper?"

"Well, first of all, he was with Alice. Then I felt pretty shitty for breaking Edward's heart. By the time I got up the nerve to say anything…."

"Jasper and Alice were engaged." Rose finished.

"Yeah….." After a moment of silence, I spoke. "I saw Edward."

Rose's eyes got big. "When?"

"At my book signing Saturday."

"Wasn't Jazz there?"

"Yeah. I hadn't seen or heard from Edward since our break up. Then he shows up at my book signing and gives me his number saying he wants to meet up and talk."

"Are you going to call him?"

"Yeah…" I trailed off.

"What did Jasper say?"

"He's the one that convinced me I need to call Edward. He says I need closure."

"I think you do too, Bella. Even when you say Edward's name, there is a pain in your eyes. You need to get past everything that happened with him."

"I hurt him, Rose. Why should I get to be happy?" I said with tears in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Because you were honest with him. You let him go, even if it hurt him. Once you realized you loved someone else, you didn't keep stringing him along."

"It's just…. I don't even know if Jasper remotely feels the same way about me."

"He does. He loves you Bella even if he doesn't realize it yet."

"You can't know that for sure," I said barely above a whisper.

"Listen to me. Jasper never loved Alice. They were barely together when they got engaged. Jasper told me the only reason they got married was that Alice said she was pregnant. He never loved her. Even after they were married, he tried. He tried so hard to love her but he couldn't. "

"How do you know?" I asked suspiciously.

"Just trust me, okay?"

"I don't know Rose… Even if he does… It's too soon for him. He and Alice just separated. I am not going to admit my feelings for him when he is still so raw. Even if he never truly loved her, she betrayed him in the worst ways. He is vulnerable and I'm not going to take advantage of him." I then picked up the knife and started chopping.

"Okay. I see your point. Give it some time but later down the road one of you needs to admit your feelings to other." Rose then got back to making dinner.

Dinner was an interesting affair. When Charlie first arrived, I have to admit I got a little emotional. I don't know if it was because of my talk with Rose or since it's been so long since I've seen my father. I fought back tears as he hugged me and then, of course, Lillian and Luke wanted in on it.

We ate and traded funny stories. Lillian and Luke definitely got Emmett's sense of humor. I was sad to see the night end but Charlie and I had to leave.

"Do you have to leave?" Lillian asked with a poked out lip.

"Yeah. But I will see guys Wednesday."

"That's too far away," Luke exclaimed. "And only one day! Only one day we get to see spend time with you" Lillian added.

"Tell you what. How about we all go fishing Thursday morning." Charlie said.

"Yeah!" Lillian and Luke exclaimed.

"That is if ya'll don't have anything planned already..." Charlie added, a little too late.

"No, we didn't" Rosalie answered.

"Rose, you can stay home and have a break if you want. I am sure Bella, Charlie, and I can handle the little terrors." Jasper said.

"Only if you insist," Rose said with a smile.

We left for the night and I don't who was more excited for Thursday, Rose or the twins.

Tuesday came and went. I enjoyed spending time with my dad. It had been a long time and I felt guilty for not visiting sooner. We drove down to La Push and visited Billy. I even ran into Jake and his wife. I thought it would be weird seeing him now. We had dated in high school but ended it on friendly terms and saw each other when our dads hung out. After I left for college, we pretty much had grown apart. I was happy to see him happy though.

Wednesday was fun and a little tiring. The twins were full of energy and never stopped. They convinced Jasper and me to play every board game known to man. When Luke wanted Jasper to play ball with him outside, Lillian decided to give me a makeover. Rose did nothing to stop it and the bitch even took pictures. Leaving the twins Wednesday was less dramatic than Monday's goodbye. They were excited to be going fishing in the morning and happily let me go.

Thursday consisted of a too early wake up but it was necessary for the fishing excursion. Lillian and Luke really enjoyed it and Charlie was happy to pass along his "fishing secrets." Every now and then I would feel eyes on me. It would be Jasper with an unreadable expression. Most of the time I caught him looking at me when I was helping Lillian cast her line and Luke was dramatically telling me a story. We headed to Charlie's at lunch time and I was frying some of the fish we caught when Jasper came into the kitchen.

"They both adore you." He stated and I assumed he was talking about the twins.

"They're great kids, I almost wished we lived closer so I could see them more often."

Jasper was quiet. He had been acting a little different all day and I wasn't sure why.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just... you seem off."

"It's nothing." He said while not making eye contact.

Okay then...

I didn't press the issue and Jasper soon left the kitchen. After lunch, my dad dragged out some photo albums to show the twins. Apparently, Lillian requested to see my baby pictures and Charlie was all too thrilled. We had moved to the album with my high school photos when Lillian pointed to a picture of me and my prom date senior year and asked, "Is that Edward?"

Edward? How did she know about Edward? They were too little when I dated him to remember who he was.

"No," I answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I heard Mama talking about him last night."

Well fuck...

"What did she say?" I asked, ignoring Charlie's stares. Jasper was too wrapped up in a conversation with Luke to notice me and Lillian.

"She said something about you being in love with him but not really in love."

My heart skipped a beat. "Who was she talking to?"

"Uncle Jasper," Lillian answered.

I stopped breathing for a second. Why were Rose and Jasper talking about me and Edward? Surely she didn't tell him...

"Hey, Lilly, why don't you see if you can find Bella's old soccer ball? It should be in the shed." My dad said, providing a perfect distraction. I got up and went into the kitchen. I felt like I couldn't breathe and the room was starting to spin. Rose wouldn't tell Jasper. Would she?

"You okay?"

I turned around and saw Jasper also in the kitchen staring at me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, diverting my gaze.

"Bella..." But before he could finish Charlie came in.

"Jasper, why don't you help the twins find the soccer ball. I am sure they require adult supervision."

Jasper got the hint and left to help the twins.

Charlie didn't say anything for a few minutes while I slowed my breathing and heart rate.

"Bells... I am not sure what happened between you and Edward... But you obviously aren't past it.."

"This isn't about Edward." I interrupted.

"Then what is is about?"

"Uhh.." What could I say? That I was in love with Jasper and afraid that Rose spilled the beans that it was the reason why I broke up with Edward?

"Okay, you don't have to tell me. But whatever it is, you need to get past it or deal with it or something."

"I'm trying..." I huffed out.

"Are you?"

It was like a smack in the face. Was I trying? Like really trying? I was putting off calling Edward. And I needed to call Edward if I was ever going to deal with my feelings toward Jasper. Why didn't I just call Edward? What was I so afraid of? Both Rose and Jasper said I needed closure. Charlie knew I needed something. Why didn't I do the one thing that leads me to the path of finally healing?

I didn't feel like I deserved it, that was what it was. I didn't feel like I deserved Edward's forgiveness. He obviously wanted to talk...

Maybe he was having trouble moving on too... Maybe he also needed closure.

If anything. I owed Edward closure. But the more I thought about it, I knew that I not only needed the closure but that I deserved it too.

"Uh, Dad?"

"Yeah Bells?"

"I'll be right back. "

It was time to face my demons.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, it's been awhile. If you follow my Facebook page then you knew this update was coming this week.**

 **Also, let me know if you hate the spacing in this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Calling Edward was one of the most terrifying things I had ever done. I didn't know if I was relieved or disappointed when it went to voicemail. I could put off speaking to him a little longer, but now I was edge until he called back.

It didn't take him long though. He waited until later that night, right before I usually to go to bed. We made plans to get coffee Saturday, the day after I returned back to Seattle. It gave a little sense of peace in the whirlwind of stress that had overtaken me.

The drive back to Seattle was too short in my opinion. Jasper never brought up the situation with Edward again, but I could tell from his sideward glances that he knew I was nervous about something.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we stepped into our apartment. It was short lived when Jasper asked me if I had plans for the following day.

"I'm meeting up with Edward so we can have that 'talk' he wants," I answered.

Jasper nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. It's been two years and we parted on very bad terms. Him showing up out of the blue wanting to talk threw me for a loop."

He nodded. "Call me if things get heated or overly emotional and I can pick you up."

I gave him a smile. "I will. Thanks, Jazz."

Later I went to the gym in our complex and ran until exhaustion hit. After showering, I crawled into bed and thankfully went to sleep right away.

The next morning, my stomach was churning. I got ready and headed to the coffee shop we agreed to meet at. I didn't see Jasper before I left the apartment and assumed he was still sleeping.

Edward was waiting at a table with two coffees when I arrived.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you. I hope you still have an addiction to chai tea lattes." He looked as nervous as I felt.

"I do. Thank you." My smile was weak but apparently enough since Edward returned it.

"How about we walk? It's not raining and there's a park nearby…" He rubbed the back of his neck as if he was unsure that I would agree. This was so different from the Edward I knew two years ago.

"Sure."

We walked for a few minutes in silence, waiting for the other to speak. I wasn't sure what to say honestly. Edward had asked me to talk so I was following his lead. Thankfully, he soon spoke up.

"I owe you an apology."

Well, I wasn't expecting that. "What?" I asked in disbelief."

He ran his hands through his hair. "I need to say that I'm sorry for how I had acted that day… two years ago."

"You had every right to be angry," I whispered as the tears threatened to spill over.

"But I still… how I acted…. What I said… I stormed out and never contacted you again."

"You promised that would be the last time I would see you."

He winced as if my words physically hurt him. "And it was a foolish thing to say. I should have least cleared the air before parting ways for good."

"You didn't owe me that. Or this. I should be apologizing to you. I hurt you. Badly. I never really forgave myself for what I did to you." I stared at the ground as I spoke the words. Even though I was beginning to let go of the guilt, some it still lingered.

Edward stopped walking and gently grabbed me to face him. "You need to forgive yourself. We both need to forgive ourselves. Looking back, we both could have handled it differently. It's in the past though and we can't change it. I want us to move forward." His eyes were filled with such emotion.

"Edward…." I couldn't let him still think there was still hope for us.

"I'm not asking to be in a romantic relationship with you, Bella. I just want us to be friends. That is if you want to… And please don't agree because of guilt or something. If you want nothing to do with me, I'll walk away and never bother you again."

My heart clenched. He wanted friendship. I could give him that. Truth be told, I missed Edward. I didn't want him in a romantic sense. We had been good friends before we started dating and I would love to go back to that.

"I would like being friends Edward."

His whole face brightened. Had he been afraid I would reject him?

"So… What have you been up to these past two years? You know since were friends all?" I asked with a grin.

He laughed. "Well, advancing my career which has been successful. I have sucked at dating though. Now that we have closure, maybe that will get better. Or it could be because I'm a workaholic. You?"

"Well, it's basically the same. My books have taken off but I can't make it past a third date." I joked.

"So you and Jasper never got together?"

I stopped dead in tracks as it felt like ice water had been dumped on me. When I broke up with Edward, I never told him the name of who I was in love with.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked with a worried expression.

"How… How did you…" I couldn't even form a clear sentence.

His features softened. "It wasn't hard for me to figure out. You and Jasper had always been close, to the point I was jealous at times. It was one reason I was so mad that day. My fears were coming true."

I swallowed hard. "You can't tell him," I whispered.

Confusion laced his features. "He doesn't know?"

I opened my mouth to speak but no sound would come out. Explaining everything to him would be betraying Jasper's confidence. After several moments of imitating a fish, I explained best I could everything that happened. I left out bits that would betray Jasper's trust and would substitute it with "that something had happened but I wasn't at liberty to discuss it." I then ended it all with Jasper being my roommate.

"Damn." Was his response. "Like damn… That's… wow."

"You sound as incoherent as me," I replied with a snort.

"That is messed up…."

"Excuse me?" I shrieked.

"Shit. That came out wrong… I meant that it has to be hard… living with someone you're secretly in love… and can't do anything about it for the time being."

"I probably won't ever act on it," I mumbled.

"What?" His eyebrows had shot up.

"He probably doesn't feel the same way…. and …. I won't set myself up to be hurt… I can't go through that."

"So you're just going to be miserable for the rest of your life." He snorted.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I bit out.

"I'm just being honest."

"He's going through a divorce and he's my roommate."

"Is it too soon now? Definitely. But he will eventually be a free man and not your roommate. The timing is all fucked up but I wouldn't give up if I were you."

I blew out a breath. "I don't know."

"How about I feel him out? See if there is anything there?"

"What?" I asked confused.

"I could hang around you both and see if I pick up any vibes that he's interested in you."

I raised my eyebrow in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"Oh but I am," he replied with a dry laugh.

"Why?" I asked seriously.

He rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm your friend or well trying to be. I've accepted that you and I aren't meant to be together. But… we are meant to be happy."

There was a beat of silence before he added with a sly smile. "After I help you, you can help me."

"You want me to be your wingman?" I laughed.

"Sure." He laughed.

"You're crazy. And…." I stopped to really look at him. "And you're different. You've changed."

This Edward was lighter, funnier, and well just different.

"Hopefully for the good." He said with a smirk.

"Definitely," I replied with an eye roll.

I returned to the apartment later in a good mood. The talk with Edward went better than I could have ever imagined. He wanted friendship and I never got any other impression from him today. I felt lighter. He and I both had a sense of closure about what happened two years ago and now we could both move forward as friends.

Jasper was in the living room grading papers when I walked in.

"Hey. How did it go?"

"Good. He's coming over for dinner Tuesday." I answered while shedding my coat.

Jasper got a strange expression on his face but then it quickly passed as he looked down. "Uh. What time? I could work late at the school and then maybe go to the bar or something. Just let me how late he'll be here." He wouldn't meet my eyes as he spoke.

"Why would you need to work late or be somewhere else?" I could feel my brows knitted together as I walked further into the living room.

"I don't want to interrupt your date…." He mumbled while still avoiding eye contact.

If I had been drinking something, I would have choked. "Date?" I asked incredulously. "It's not a date… We talked and now have closure about what happened. He wants to be friends and I think it's something we both need."

Jasper finally looked up. "Friends?"

"Yeah. Some people are capable of being friends after breaking up. It's been two years after all…" What the hell was his problem?

"Sorry." He mumbled while shaking his head. "I just…." He then started rubbing his face.

"Are you okay, Jazz?" I was started to get concerned. He was acting strangely…

"Yeah… I just thought… I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I'm happy for you. Friends…" He said the last word more to himself than to me.

I stared at him a moment longer, but he seemed caught up in whatever was swirling in that head of his.

"I'm going to make lunch. You hungry?" I asked while getting up.

"Sure. Sounds great." He replied while looking back at his stack of papers.

What the hell was up with him?

* * *

 **So what's going on with Jasper? Hmmm….**

 **I know the chapter was a little shorter than most. But the next tidbit needs to be a whole chapter to its self.**

 **Posting schedule? I'm playing it by ear. I have some new-found inspiration and will write as the ideas flow.**

 **Also PLEASE READ. I did some light polishing of previous chapters. I will be uploading the edited versions today. So if you have the Fanfiction app and it keeps going off saying this story has been updated, that's why. It's just a light polishing to previous chapters and mainly grammar and spelling fixes. It helped me get back in the groove to write this story.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Note: Early update! Yay! I posted on my FB page when the next chapter will up. I decided two posts two chapters this week for multiple reasons. 1. I was gone from FF for a long time so I wanted to make it up to ya'll 2. The creative juices have been flowing so I've been writing(instead of sleeping) and can't let a chapter sit for too long. 3. This chapter… well, you'll see...**

* * *

Chapter 10

The remainder of the weekend went well. Jasper still acted a little weird Saturday, but Sunday he seemed to be fine. Well, sort of. I wasn't actually sure what was up with him.

Mondy proved to be a little more interesting.

Around 10'o clock Rosalie called me to see how the situation with Edward was going. As I talked to her, I had the feeling she knew more than she was letting on.

"So what made you call to check up on me?" I asked.

 _"Oh, just a feeling…."_ but I could hear a smile in her voice.

"Uh huh." My tone revealed that I didn't believe her.

 _"Okay, if you must know…. And this has to stay between us…. Jasper called me Saturday night."_

I about dropped my phone. "Wh-What?"

 _"You heard me. He called and tried to brush it off as him being a caring friend and wanting to make sure Edward wasn't playing you…"_

"Hold up. What? I'm confused."

Rosalie laughed. _"He tried to make it seem he was asking for advice in case Edward's intentions were not to be actual friends with you."_

"Why would he think otherwise?" I asked with confusion.

 _"Because he is in love you! Which is exactly what I told him after I called him out on his bullshit."_

My heart started to pound in my chest. "Rose! Please tell me you didn't..."

" _He needs to man up and tell you or stop bitching everytime a guy is interested in you," Rose said in a no nonsense tone._

I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. "You actually think…"

 _"I told you when you guys were here last week that he loved you. You both have loved each other for years."_

"But things are…" I trailed off, not knowing how to word it.

 _"Fucked up? I know._ " She snorted.

"Rose…"

"I _know, I know the timing is bad. But after his divorce is finalized and he gets his head out his ass, he better tell you how he feels. If he doesn't, you need to lay it all out on the line._ "

"I don't want to lose him…"

" _You deserve to be happy, Bella. You both do_."

It was the same thing Edward told me. I just didn't know how to go about it.

Rose and chatted some more. She agreed to lay off, for now. Once the divorce was finalized, she would be calling about a "game plan."

The rest of my day consisted of answering emails and a phone conference with my publisher. I agreed to the summer tour and Heidi was ecstatic. She wanted me to come in next week to finalize some details and sign some paperwork.

Then Tuesday came. Which meant Edward would be coming over dinner.

Innocent, right? Then I remembered what he said Saturday- that he wanted to feel the waters and see if he picked up any vibes from Jasper concerning me.

I tried not to think about that as I prepped for dinner. Jasper still wasn't home and I had no clue why he was running late. He normally didn't stay at the school this late unless there was a meeting or parent-teacher conference. He hadn't mentioned either or texted me.

As time ticked by my stomach felt uneasy…. Was he going to ditch dinner?

Then a spark of anger flared. If he couldn't stand to be around Edward so much, he could at least have the decency to….

A knock on the front door pulled me out of my internal rant. It had to be Edward seeing as Jasper had a key.

"Hello," Edward greeted as I opened to door wider for him.

"Hey." Was all I could muster up.

Edward raised his eyebrow, no doubt to my solemn mood. As he walked with me in the apartment, I realized he was holding a bouquet of flowers as well as a disposable bag that looked that it contained beer.

"These are for you," he murmured while handing me the flowers. They were my favorite, tiger lilies.

We walked to the dining room and Edward glanced around the room before saying, "The beer is for Jazz. I didn't think he would appreciate flowers and I wanted to give both of my hosts something."

"He's not here," I replied in a lifeless tone.

"Is he running late? Caught up at work?" His expression was unreadable, but for a moment I thought I saw a glimmer of anger.

"I don't know. He usually…." I took a deep breath and then continued, " I guess he is skipping out on dinner."

Edward's brow furrowed. "Does he normally...:

"No!" I yelled, my irritation coming back. It wasn't at Edward though, it was at Jasper. "He is normally a very considerate person and tells me if he even thinks there is a chance he will be late. It can only mean he is ditching which is ridiculous! He encouraged me to call you back! Said I should make amends and all that shit!"

Edward motioned for us to sit at the table and then cracked open a beer for me. "Guys can be assholes and not even realize it," he stated.

"That's no excuse…"

He held up his hand, indicating I should let him finish. "I'm not trying to make excuses for him. But he might have thought this was a date and didn't want to get in the way." His voice grew quieter with each word as if he was scared of my reaction.

"I already cleared that up with him the other day. I told him I wanted him at dinner tonight. I wanted all three of us here." I was on the verge of tears. Why? Who the fuck knows.

"Guys can be absolute morons," Edward offered before standing back up. He came back a few minutes later with two plates of food. "No sense in letting your hard work go to waste. If Jasper shows up soon he can join us. If not, I will take home his plate just to spite him." His tone light towards the end, no doubt trying to be funny.

I snorted and Edward cracked a smile. We moved the conversation towards our current work. He was working with some important clients this week and was excited for the chance of another promotion. I told him about my summer book tour but got momentarily down when I realized Jazz may not come with me now. Edward sensed my mood change and steered the conversation elsewhere. We talked, laughed, and soon our plates were clean.

Jasper never showed up.

I tried to reel in the disappointment, but my face must have still shown it when I glanced at the clock.

"Let's go out," Edward suggested.

"Hmm?" I mused while inspecting non-existent speck on the table.

"Let's go get ice cream or that frozen yogurt stuff you girls like."

I rolled my eyes but then meet Edward's. His face had grown more serious, but he tried to keep his tone light as he spoke. "It will do you no good to sit around this apartment and sulk while waiting for him to get here. Let's get out and pretend like Jasper didn't flake on us."

I obliged because Edward was right. There was no point in me sitting around feeling sad and staring at the clock every five minutes.

We decided to walk to an ice cream parlor down the street but opted to take umbrellas as it was drizzling. After about an hour, we headed back as it was getting late and the stores around were closing.

Walking up to my apartment, I saw Jasper's car parked in his usual spot.

He was finally home.

"I take it you see his vehicle around here somewhere?" Edward asked.

I nodded.

"We'll that's go say hi and see why he ditched us," Edward said with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes. "All this is so unlike Jasper. Maybe there was an emergency or something."

"Maybe. You can give him the benefit of the doubt…. but it's okay to simply ask why he was late."

"Yeah. I just don't want to seem like a bitch…"

"I'll play referee and throw you out if that happens."

I snorted. "It's my apartment."

"So you know the stakes are high then," he joked while a smirk played on his face.

I laughed while I let us through the door. Upon entering the apartment, we found Jasper at the dining room table, beer in hand.

"Hey." I greeted. Trying to seem at ease so maybe he would volunteer information.

Jasper mumbled a hello but then looked towards Edward. "Nice flowers."

"I got them for Bella as a hostess gift. I got you beer but..."

Jasper said nothing but just stared at Edward before cutting his eyes to me. He looked…. Not like Jasper.

"Did something happen at the school? You never showed up for dinner and never texted or called..."

"You're not my keeper, Bella." His voice was cold and his words cut through my heart.

"But she is your roommate and friend. She was worried that something was wrong." Edward cut in.

Jasper scoffed before taking another pull of his beer. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Jazz… Are you okay?" I asked softly as I took a step forward.

"Am I okay? Am I okay? No, I am not the fuck okay!" he spat.

"What-" But he cut me off before I could finish.

"Don't pretend like you care. Like you wanted me here at this dinner. You're just like her! You're just like Alice!"

It was like a slap in the face. I then realized that Jasper was very drunk, drunker than I initially realized. Still, it did nothing to quench my temper that flared at his comment.

"I'm nothing like Alice!"

He stood up from his chair while yelling, "You don't fucking fool me. Saying you two are friends and just having a casual dinner. Where were you when I got home? Huh?"

Something was very wrong. Jasper was normally very calm and this…. This was not him.

"Jazz…" I said in a soothing voice.

"Stop calling me that!" He slammed his empty beer bottle on the table.

Edward stepped in front of me and then spoke to Jasper. "You need to calm down."

"Don't tell me what to fucking do!" Jasper roared.

Edward, thankfully, didn't get angry or lash out. In a very calm voice, he responded, "You are going to say or do something that you will regret. You need to sleep this off and tomorrow you will have a clearer head."

Jasper scoffed.

Edward then turned towards me while still having Jasper in his periphery vision. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you here while he's like this."

I whispered back, "He's normally not an angry drunk. Jasper wouldn't hurt me…" at least I thought he wouldn't….

"Bella, please… He's not thinking straight. I would feel better if you packed a bag and stayed with me. Just for tonight. That or I can stay on the couch here. But I have a feeling if I stay here then World War 3 might happen and I don't want to put you in the middle of that." He pleaded with his eyes as he spoke. He was honestly fearful of my safety and with the way Jasper was acting…. It had me concerned. I had never witnessed Jasper angry when drunk and while I didn't think he would be volatile…. He wasn't acting like the Jasper I knew and loved.

"Give me five minutes," I whispered before I went to my room and packed.

I packed for two days just in case and made sure to grab my laptop so I could work from Edward's apartment. My chest hurt as I filled the bag and I tried my best not to cry.

As we headed to the door, I heard Jasper say, "Everybody eventually leaves me."

I turned towards him with tear-filled eyes. "I'm not leaving you, Jasper. It's just… you're not acting like yourself and… honestly, it scares me. We can talk when you're sober." Then Edward and I left.

Later that night as I lay in Edward's guest room, I couldn't help but guilty. For many reasons. Jasper looked so broken when I left and I couldn't help but blame myself. Had I driven him to drink? But why? He encouraged me to make amends with Edward and then when I did… Did he think Edward and I would talk and then part ways? Did he not think there was a chance that Edward and I may try to be friends? I told him Saturday that Edward and I were making amends and trying to move forward and he was well aware that Edward was coming over tonight... It was all so confusing but I had a feeling there was something else going on with Jasper. Something he wasn't telling me…

The next morning, I felt like crap. I grabbed a quick shower and then went to the kitchen to make breakfast. It was the least I could do to thank Edward for letting me crash here.

"You cook for me twice in less than twenty-four? I could get used to this," he greeted with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "It's my way of saying thank-you."

"No thanks needed but I do appreciate the gesture," he responded as he took a seat at the table.

Edward ate relatively quickly since he needed to be at work soon.

"Make yourself at home," he called out from the front door as he left for the day.

I cleaned up breakfast and then walked around a bit to familiarize myself with the apartment. Edward had moved since our break-up so this was my first time here. It was nice, bigger than my apartment and more modern than his last place. Last night he told me the place had three bedrooms. Why he needed that many rooms was beyond me... which is is exactly what I told him. He laughed and then relented saying that one of the bedrooms he had turned into an office. I looked around the living room and then settled on working in the dining room. While Edward said I could use his office, I felt more comfortable being in common area of the apartment.

Around midday, hunger started to nag at my stomach. I knew from inspecting Edward's fridge this morning, that there wasn't a whole lot of choices. I would most likely settle on a cold cut sandwich. As I was cleaning up lunch, my cell rang with "Rosalie" popped up on the screen.

The food in my stomach felt like lead as I answered. "Hello."

" _Bella! Are you okay? I swear to God I am going to kick his ass! Do you need me to come up there? I will gladly…_ "

"Woah, Woah, slow down Rose."

She took a deep breath and then proceeded. " _My idiot of a cousin called me last night at 3 a.m. He was drunk but managed to spill went down. I called to see if you were okay and to be a listening ear in case you needed someone to talk to._ "

So I told Rose everything that happened last night and how I was now at Edward's apartment.

" _Shit, Bella_." was Rose's response.

"I know. It was a crazy night. I've never seen Jasper act that way. And he doesn't drink to get drunk usually. He might have one beer at dinner or two if it's the weekend. But I have a feeling that last night he hit the liquor. The last time he drank like that was when the initial shit went down with Alice and he showed up at my apartment, but he was weepy then. Last night he was…."

" _A douche? Asshole? A fucking bastard who is going to to get his ass kicked_ -"

"Rein it in Rose."

" _Sorry_ ," she breathed out, " _But the way he acted was uncalled for and he compared you to Alice_!"

"Yeah, that stung pretty bad. I don't understand why he got upset though. I feel like there is something he isn't telling me."

" _You mean other than the fact that he is in love you?_ " she replied with a snort.

"Be serious Rose. There's something else."

" _There is_ ," she relented in a quieter voice.

"And….."

She sighed. " _It's not my place to say… He needs to tell you_."

"Can you at least give me a hint?" I encouraged.

" _Alice's lawyer contacted him Monday and well… shit… that's all can I say for right now_."

"He didn't mention it…." He hadn't said anything about it. I thought Monday had been an okay day.

" _No, because he is an idiot. Has he called you yet_?"

"No, not even a text."

" _He might still be sleeping. Lord knows he had to call out of work today."_

It was silent for a beat as I processed just how drunk Jasper was last night.

" _So how long are you staying with Edward?_ " Rose asked.

"He offered for last night but knows I packed for two…"

" _I would stay there again tonight_ ," Rose said firmly.

"Why?" I was so sure Rose was going to tell me to go home and make Jasper talk to me.

" _Jasper needs to get his head together. He is going to have one hell of a hangover today and probably be a bear to deal with today."_

"I should…"

" _No! You will not take care of him! Jasper needs to deal with the consequences._ "

"Yeah, you're right… but stay with my ex who I haven't seen in two years until two weeks ago and just now making amends with?"

Rose laughed. " _Yeah, your life is turning into a Lifetime movie_."

"Very funny Rose," I quipped sarcastically.

" _Sorry. But it sounds like you two are getting along great and no awkwardness_."

"Yeah, it's kind of crazy. We both have changed so much, but at the same time it feels like how it was back in the day when we were just friends and not yet dating."

" _So it's safe to say he isn't harboring any romantic feeling towards you_?"

"I don't think so. He was very adamant that it would just be as friends and even then he understood if I didn't want that."

" _Well, at least one part of your life is working out."_

"Yeah." I snorted but then the silence grew serious before I asked, "I should go home tomorrow though, right?"

Rose mulled over it before responding, " _Wait for him to contact you. He needs to apologize and be the bigger man."_

"What if he is waiting for me…"

" _He needs to stop waiting for you to always make the first move. He dug himself into this shitty hole and he needs to climb out. Not wait for you appear on the edge with a rope_."

"Umm… okay then."

" _Trust me, Bella_." She said a firm and dismissive tone.

Rose promised to call tomorrow to see how things were going. I got back to working and got so concentrated that I didn't realize the time until I heard Edward enter the apartment.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey. I meant to stop in time so I could make dinner…"

"Bella, you are a guest. Besides you already know that my fridge and cabinets don't have much."

I snorted. Ain't that the truth.

"So the question is… do you want to go out for dinner or get something delivered?"

"Let's get something delivered. I really don't feel like going anywhere."

"Okay, let me get some menus for us to look out."

We ordered our food and then talked about our day. I told Edward about my phone conversation with Rose and he was more than happy for me to stay longer.

"You're sure I'm not imposing?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "We're friends, Bella."

And the truth was… we were. I would have thought being around him would be more awkward, but once we go past… well, the past, we were fine. We flowed around each other great with no romantic feeling involved.

Later, when I got ready for bed, I checked my phone for the umpteenth time.

Still no texts or calls from Jasper.

I debated texting him just to check in but then I remembered what Rosalie said. As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered how long it would take Jasper to contact me.

Thursday I heard absolutely nothing from Jasper. Rose called twice to check in and I had to talk her down from driving out here. She wanted to kick Jasper's ass in a bad way. She still stressed though that I shouldn't go back until he apologized. I reiterated that we were just roommates and she was handling this as if we were couple. She laughed and then told me I just needed to listen and trust her.

Edward was very accommodating even when I realized I ran out of clean clothes and needed to use his laundry room.

Friday-nothing. Absolutely nothing from Jasper. Rose was furious and Edward was even mad at Jasper's behavior.

Saturday morning I realized that I needed to do something about my clothes situation. I had told Rose the day before that I couldn't wear the same three things over and over. I either had to go shopping for clothes or back to my apartment. She told me that she had it covered, whatever that meant.

I realized around mid-day what exactly it was she meant.

Edward and I were in the middle of cooking. Well, I was attempting to teach him to cook but it proved to be more a challenge than I anticipated. He was elbows deep in the sink when there was a knock on the front door. I thought nothing of it when Edward asked me to answer it, but I was quite surprised when I opened the door.

Standing there was with a grin on her face was Rosalie.

* * *

 **Author Note: Yeah I know. Some of ya'll will be pissed with the turn of the story, but be patient! Remember this a slow burn.**

 **Also, I am considering changing one of the Genres to Angst instead of Hurt/Comfort, but I haven't decided. They both fit but so does the Genre of Friendship which I don't want to change, but I can only have two….What do you ya'll think? Also, I may edit the summary yet again.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author Note:**

 **Hey! I wanted to clear some things up since one or two have asked this. The reason Bella can't stay with Rosalie is because Rose(along with Emmett and their kids) lives in Forks which is almost a four-hour drive from Seattle. While Bella does work from home, the publishing house is located in Seattle. Also, she can't just up and drive four hours at night. Hotel? Well, maybe she could have the first night, but she was so emotionally overwhelmed that she really didn't think of it especially when a friend offers their place. Now that things have cooled down(sort of) a hotel would be too expensive to stay at for days on end.**

* * *

Previously...

Edward and were in the middle of cooking lunch. Well, I was attempting to teach him to cook but it proved to be more a challenge than I anticipated. He was elbows deep in the sink when there was a knock on the front door. I thought nothing of it when Edward asked me to answer it, but I was quite surprised when I opened the door.

Standing there was with a grin on her face was Rosalie.

Chapter 11

"What are you doing here?" I asked. I then realized that she a had suitcase with her and my eyes widened. "You're not staying here too are you?" I asked, bewildered.

She laughed. "Of course not. I got some of your things for you. More clothes as well as other things from your apartment."

"You went to my apartment?" I asked in a serious tone.

"Yes, to smack some sense into my cousin."

I blanched. "Rose…." but then Edward's voice filtered through the air.

"Hey," he greeted from behind me. "Bella, are you to let Rosalie in?" he asked hint with a hint of both confusion and amusement.

I turned to him with a glare. "You could have told me you invited her!"

"I invited myself," Rose answered, "and Edward was more than willing to let me stop by so I could bring you some much-needed clothes."

I walked into the apartment as the two others trailed behind me. When we reached the living room, I plopped down on the couch and turned my attention to Rose. "Spill."

She raised an eyebrow at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me what happened when you went to the apartment."

A smile played on her lips. I didn't know what she found amusing about any of this.

"I didn't tell Jasper I was coming by. I wanted to surprise him and surprised he was…"

"What did you do Rose?" I hedged.

The smirk that formed on her face informed it wasn't good. "I may have slapped him when he opened the door…"

"Rose!" I shrieked.

"I told you I wanted to kick his ass."

My eyes widened. "What exactly did you do, Rose?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I didn't hurt him… much. After he got over the initial shock, he asked what I was doing there. I then threatened to stick my six-inch heel up his ass for asking such a dumb question."

"Good Lord…" I heard Edward mutter from across the room.

Rose then continued with the story. "He started apologizing then I whacked him after telling him it wasn't me he should be apologizing to. The idiot then shuts up and impersonated a statue for a good five minutes. When he saw me lugging a suitcase out your room, he snapped out of whatever trance he was in."

I glanced at the suitcase beside her. "That's not mine," I stated though it sounded more like a question

"I knew you only had one and it wouldn't hold everything you need. The other bag is in the car."

"You packed two suitcases! What the hell, Rose! You're acting like I'm moving out!" I shrieked.

Rose seemed unfazed by my outburst and Edward made no move to respond. I had a feeling he was in on all of it.

"You needed to send a message to Jasper. He needs to pull his head out of his ass or he is going to lose you for good." Rose stated simply.

"You can't just decide that I am moving out! My name is on the lease as well as the utilities. Not to mention, I can't just invade Edward's space!" I was now standing up with my arms in the air.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I ran it by Edward and he is fine with you staying here."

I turned my gaze towards to Edward. "You didn't bother to tell me!"

He winced. "Rosalie thought it would better if she told you…."

"Did either of you consider that maybe I should be the one to decide if I stay or go back? What is with you both making decisions for me?"

Rose stood and moved in front of me. "I'm trying to help you, Bella. And you're right, you should have been the one to make the decisions, but what would have you decided? To go back. Why? Would it be in your best interest? No. Because you would be back in the same cycle as before except worse. And Jasper still hasn't apologized and his behavior was uncalled for. You have helped him so much these past few months and it's time he helped himself. You've grown too soft towards him, Bella. Honestly, you can be a pushover at times with him and you weren't like that in high school. I think in the last few years you've been so scared of losing him that you let things slide and do whatever you can to help him at any cost. I get you want to be a good friend but you have to have a backbone at the same time. You've even gone lax on me! In high school, you would have chewed me out days ago. I don't know what's happened but it's gone on long enough. Should I be insisting you not go back and packing your stuff and making decisions for you? No. But Bella, someone has got to look out for your best interest because all you're thinking about is Jasper."

I had no response. Maybe Rosalie was right…

She let out a breath. "We can always take your stuff back to the apartment, but Bella…. This, in my opinion, this needs to happen."

"But he's going to think that I left him… just like everyone else." I whispered.

She threw her arms up."But you haven't! And neither have I for that matter. He's the one who moved to Seattle and stayed there!"

"Yeah…" She did have a point.

Rosalie sighed and then said, "Jasper is dealing with things that he never talks about… to anyone. He obviously has fears…."

"But he's normally so calm and put together… He always has been."

"Because he has to be to help people. He has a clear head when he looks at other people's problems but when it comes to his own… He makes some dumb ass mistakes."

"I just…" I sat down as I rubbed my hands over my face. "I feel bad leaving him like this."

"I know," Rose murmured as she sat next to me. "But Jasper needs to sort his head out. If you go back, you're going to forgive him and all that happened gets swept under the rug. None of the problems get sorted out and you both will secretly be miserable."

I was quiet for few moments before asking, "What did you tell him? About me leaving…"

"He assumed that I was taking you with me to Forks."

"Forks?"

She nodded. "I told him that you weren't going to let him run you from Seattle but you wouldn't be returning to the apartment until he got his act together."

I wasn't angry with what she told him because years ago I would have said the same thing. What had happened to me? "And his response?"

"He asked where you would be saying, but I think he already knew the answer…."

"You told him I was staying with Edward?"

"Yep and… he didn't handle it well. I heard several dishes breaking in the kitchen as I finished packing your stuff."

"Are you serious?" I whispered, my tone serious.

She nodded. "His temper is out of control. I haven't seen him this volatile since he moved to Forks after his mother died."

I was surprised by her statement. "He acted that way? When he first moved up here?"

"My parents gave him a few weeks to adjust before he started school and went out into the community. He trashed his room multiple times and would go outside and punch trees until his knuckles bled. He was so broken after his mother died. My parents gave him some time but eventually, my dad talked to him. Things got better although he there a few times he would act out. Eventually, he became the cool, calm Jasper that you knew. It takes a lot for him to act otherwise."

I processed everything she said but then a question still burned in my mind. "What happened with him and Alice's lawyer on Monday?"

Rose's face grew tight. "It's not my place to say… I've debated telling you but… Jasper needs to be the one to do so. He needs to deal with everything and one of those things is the mess with Alice and her lawyer and actually telling you about it himself."

Well, whatever it is it must bad….

"Did he say anything else?… once he found out I was staying with Edward," I asked.

Rose seems to hesitate before answering, "He said something about it might be for the best…"

My heart plummetted.

"It's not what you think Bella," Rose rushed out as she came to sit next to me, "If he would just explain what is happening with Alice and her lawyer….it will all make more sense. But I can't be the one to tell you, he needs to talk to you."

It eased my hurt fractionally. Obviously, Jasper didn't want to tell me. Maybe he would never tell me… Maybe this was the end of our friendship….

I could feel the tears across my cheeks as I fought the sob that started to build in my chest.

"Hey now… it'll be okay, It will all work out somehow." Rose soothed as she hugged me.

The tears continued to fall but I didn't let it overtake me. After a few minutes, I was able to pull myself together and ask what Rose was going to do now.

"Well, I need to head back to Forks at some point… But I figured we could do lunch first."

"We're making some," Edward offered, "But it's not done and I honestly don't know if the food has gone bad yet or…"

I rolled my eyes and a small giggle escaped me. "You're hopeless in the kitchen."

He cracked a smile, obviously happy that I was no longer crying.

"I'll help Bella clean up while you get the other suitcase out of my car. Then we'll go out for lunch." Rose told rather than asked Edward.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're bossy?" Edward asked with amusement.

"Has anyone ever told you I could break your nose and not break any of my nails in the process?" Rose asked with a smirk.

Edward put his hands up in defeat and Rose and I laughed.

Half an hour later, we found ourselves in a Mexican restaurant. Emmett called during lunch to see how things were going. He offered to kick Jasper's ass for me, but I declined and told him his wife had it all taken care off. Lunch was over too soon and Rose had to head back to Forks. Edward and I headed back to the apartment so I could unpack. Not only had Rose packed a good deal of clothes, but majority of my bathroom things as well as various other necessities.

The rest of the day was uneventful and Edward gave me some space, for which I was thankful.

Sunday he suggested we run some errands. I had a feeling he was making sure I didn't sulk.

Monday he was back at work while I worked from his apartment. I cooked dinner and who;e Edward insisted I didn't have to. I told him to shut up and eat and enjoy it while I was still here. He laughed but made no comment.

Then Tuesday rolled around. I would be leaving to meet with my publisher first thing so Edward offered to drop me off on his way to work. We agreed to meet for an early lunch after my meeting and for the first time in a few days, I felt happy. Even if Jasper still hadn't made any move to contact me.

Heidi was very excited for my summer book tour and glad I was "spreading my wings." But then she asked if my friend Jasper would be tagging along. She had called him before the meeting and offered him a freelance position for the summer tour since he had done so well at the last book signing. She was disappointed that he had turned it down and was then unsure if he would be attending at all.

"I don't actually know. We're kind of in the middle of a fight." I responded quietly, doing my best not cry or become overly emotional.

"Oh…" was her response and she thankfully left it alone after that.

After the meeting, I walked to the building Edward worked in since it wasn't raining and only a few blocks away. When we had been dating, he had worked in a lower position but for the past two years he had quickly climbed the ranks and seemed to be making a name for himself. He now had an office of his own and was looking to get another promotion soon.

Edwar's office door was open but I still knocked to get his attention. When he raised his head. He almost looked startled to see me. He then glanced at his watch and his eyes widened at the time.

"Shit. You haven't been waiting long I hope," he said while stacking various papers before getting up from his desk.

"No," I answered with a laugh, "I just got here. I walked since it was decent weather outside."

He at door beside me when he asked, "Should we walk to lunch then? Or would you prefer a taxi in case it rains?"

"Let's walk. We can always get a taxi if the weather turns sour."

Edward knew of an Italian place close by and it sounded delicious. After we placed our orders, he asked me how my meeting went.

"It went really good. Everything is right on track." I answered before taking a sip of my water.

"Good. I'm glad."

Then I remembered what Heidi had said at the end of the meeting. "Though she did bring up Jasper…"

Edward's face turned confused. "Why did she ask about him?"

"Awhile back I had asked her if I could bring someone with me for the tour. She then told me about these freelance positions the company has. She offered one to Jasper - to help with my last book tour. And she said if he did well then they may extend the offer to the summer tours. He was all for it because he needed the money and he went through all the training…. " I took a deep breath before continuing, "She said she called him before our meeting to offer him a position for my summer tour and he declined it."

Edward was quiet for a moment before I heard him mumble, "idiot" under his breath.

I fought back tears as I spoke. "He is shutting me out. I… I don't know if he will ever contact me…" That was my greatest fear. That would be the end of our friendship.

"He just needs time. I think he is making a lot of rash decisions that he will regret later. You should also consider what Rosalie said. Something is going on with Alice and her lawyer. Maybe after he deals with that then he will open to you.

"So I just stand on the sidelines in the meantime?" I asked, my temper now flaring.

"You're not. You're doing what's best for you right now. Maybe after Jasper gets all his shit straightened, you'll realize he's not worth it."

"He is worth it." I snapped.

"I knew you would say that. And it's what you need to remind yourself but... you also need to look out for you. Focus on your books and writing while Jasper gets his life straightened out."

"I was supposed to help him though… It's what I thought…" I trailed off.

"It's what you thought you should be doing?"

I nodded.

"You helped him, Bella. A lot. But now it's time for Jasper to help himself."

I heard and understood what he was saying but it was still hard. While I wanted to be there for Jasper, I knew I had to look out for myself. What Rosalie had said to me over the weekend was hitting home. I had changed so much of myself in hear of losing Jasper. While I thought he was worth it, did he think I was worth it? I knew his life had been turned upside by Alice, that I knew, but finding out that there was, even more, going on than he was telling? He had a right to privacy, sure. But he was bottling it all up and then exploding on people like me. He needed to get a handle on himself because shit like that was unacceptable.

So I decided. Before I could help Jasper further, Jasper had to help himself.

* * *

 **Author Note: Have faith! In due time! This all needed to happen so the characters could grow and develop.**


	12. Chapter 12

Author Note: This chapter is short but I really wanted to end it where I did. You'll see why.

* * *

 _Previously…..._

 _I heard and understood what he was saying but it was still hard. While I wanted to be there for Jasper, I knew I had to look out for myself. What Rosalie had said to me over the weekend was hitting home. I had changed so much of myself in hear of losing Jasper. While I thought he was worth it, did he think I was worth it? I knew his life had been turned upside by Alice, that I knew, but finding out that there was, even more, going on than he was telling? He had a right to privacy, sure. But he was bottling it all up and then exploding on people like me. He needed to get a handle on himself because shit like that was unacceptable._

 _So I decided. Before I could help Jasper further, Jasper had to help himself._

* * *

Chapter 12

I knew I had to accept that Jasper, for some reason I still didn't know, was pushing me completely away. At first, I felt confident with my decision that before I could Jasper, he had to help himself. But as time passed it got harder.

Two weeks, Two weeks since I made that decision.

Three and weeks. Three and half weeks since Jasper had spoken to me.

As I sat and contemplated how much time had passed, a realization hit him.

"Shit!" I yelled. Which in turn scared the crap out of Edward. We were both in the kitchen getting coffee. Luckily, Edward didn't burn himself with the hot liquid.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

"It's the end of the month!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah…." he clearly had no clue what I was talking about.

"Bills! The bills the due! I plan out everything to be due at the end of the month!"

"Oh… now that you mention it… I remember you having it that way before. I always thought it was weird to have everything due at the same time. To have one time of month where your bank account is-"

"We can argue about my budgeting skills later. The point is all the bills dealing with the apartment. The rent, the electricity, the water!"

"Bella, you only lived there for like half a week this month. I'm sure."

"Jasper moved in with me because of his financial situation. Alice had drained him dry! He gets paid every two weeks so he may not have enough money for the bills."

"Bella…"

"I at least have to pay my half of rent."

"What I was going to say is how are you going to pay only half? How did you and Jasper handle that before?"

"I would normally use my card or write a check and Jasper would me his half in cash. Or vice versa. Jasper's avoidance will make all of this more difficult." I slinked down in my chair.

"Well, you talk with your landlord and see if he will take half in cash. Just tell him that your roommate will pay the other half." Edward suggested.

"Maybe…."

"It doesn't hurt to try. The worst that can happen is they no."

"True…" I could also speak with the electric and water companies about half payments….

It was Friday so Edward had to head to the office. The only reason I was up was because I couldn't sleep and Jasper had been on my mind.

I soon set off to the office of my apartment complex. The lady at the front desk was hesitant at first. I think she was worried the other half wouldn't be paid by the due date. After she checked my past payments and say I never a late payment, she finally agreed. But she did tell me that if my roommate didn't pay the other half, we both would still be responsible for the remaining amount.

When I got back to Edward's place, I called the electrical company first. They told me the bill had already been paid and that Mr. Whitlock had requested I be taken off the account. They, of course, couldn't do that without my permission. I then immediately called the water company and they told me the same thing. The only difference being, they asked if I did, in fact, want to remove my name from the account. My answer was "not at this time." I wouldn't be doing anything until Jasper talked to me.

It was luck that Jasper hadn't paid the rent yet. That or he didn't have the money. The rent was substantially more than the other two bills.

Later when Edward was home from work, I told him all that happened.

"I thought we said you were only going to pay the rent?"

Shit. I forgot about that.

"I wanted to see how much the bills were. I did live there for half a week after all. I could have paid my one-eighth."

"You're hilarious." Edward deadpanned.

"I think the more important issue is that Jasper tried to remove me from the accounts."

"He probably knew that you would try to pay them," Edward replied with a snort.

"Edward! Think! What could be another reason he tried to remove me?"

I could see the lightbulb going off in his head. "Oh shit."

"Yeah."

"He doesn't expect you come to back."

"More like he doesn't want me to come back," I stated solemnly.

"Bella…"

"It's true and you know it! Why else would he try to me off the accounts? It's way of saying 'don't come back' but he's a fool if he thinks I'll just accept it. That was my apartment first and he and I are going to have a face to face before I agree to permanently leave."

I left the kitchen and headed for the door.

"Bella!"

I didn't stop. My hand was on the doorknob when Edward grabbed me and turned me around.

"You need to calm down."

"Don't you know that's the one thing you don't say to an angry woman?"

He rolled his eyes. "I understand you want to talk to him."

"I will talk to him!"

"And I agree with you. You two definitely need to talk."

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"But… he needs to calm down first. If you go over there now, you will say things you won't mean and then later regret."

I took a deep breath. Edward was right. I needed to reign myself in or I could very well rip Jasper's head off.

"How about this," Edward suggested, "sleep on it and then go over there tomorrow. I'll even go over there with you if you want."

"That sounds… reasonable. But I'll probably have you wait in the car. That way I feel like I'm doing it by myself but you're close by if I meet you."

He grinned. "Okay then."

I debated calling Rose before bed but decided I would call her tomorrow after I talked with Jasper. I didn't want her to tear into Jasper before I had the chance.

My sleep was choppy and I tossed and turned for most of the night. I was to wound up with my impending meeting with Jasper. I woke up much too early so I headed into Edward's gym room. Running five miles helped ease some of the tension and I started to feel a little better. After a shower and coffee, I felt like I had a better handle on myself. Edward soon woke up and after he was ready, we headed out.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" Edward asked/

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just keep your phone on and close by in case I needed you." I moved to open the door, but before I did I turned back to Edward, "Thank you, Edward, for everything. You've been a great friend these past couple of weeks."

He smiled. "There's no need for thanks, I'm just glad to be back in your life again."

I returned his smile before getting out the car.

Walking up the steps to the apartment, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. When I reached the door, I knocked.

Sure I had a key but I preferred this method.

The door opened and from his expression, I knew he hadn't checked the peephole.

"Bella?" Surprise laced his voice

Seeing him again, made my heart break all over again. He didn't want me and was trying his best to kick me out my own apartment. That final thought stirred an anger in me.

I felt my features harden as I braced myself for what could be our final conversation.

"Hi, Jasper."

* * *

Author Note: Yep, totally ending it there.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author Note: I wanted to update the week before last. Life got in the way and then I had technical issues with the FF site.**

 **I considered splitting the chapter but I figured ya'll have waited long enough for an update so shortening it would be cruel.**

 **Warning: If you cry easily, then I wouldn't recommend reading this in public.**

* * *

 _Previously…._

 _Walking up the steps to the apartment, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. When I reached the door, I knocked._

 _Sure I had a key but I preferred this method._

 _The door opened and from his expression, I knew he hadn't checked the peephole._

 _"Bella?" Surprise laced his voice_

 _Seeing him again, made my heart break all over again. He didn't want me and was trying his best to kick me out my own apartment. That final thought stirred an anger in me._

 _I felt my features harden as I braced myself for what could be our final conversation._

 _"Hi, Jasper."_

* * *

Chapter 13

"B-Bella?" The surprise was still on his face. Did he really think I wouldn't show up to my own apartment?

"We need to talk," I stated while taking a step forward.

Jasper didn't move but I continued to walk forward regardless. Once we were mere inches apart, he got the idea to finally move so I would walk inside.

"Bella…" he started, but I cut him off.

"No, it's my turn to talk." His eyes got wide, but he stayed quiet. After taking a deep breath to once again ground myself, I continued. "Jasper who've had plenty of time to talk to me. I know I left under emotional circumstances but….It's clear I'm not worth your time so-"

"Hold up, you said to give you space. You had Rosalie show up to get your stuff," Jasper interjected.

"I said once you sobered up, to call me. You never did. No calls. No texts. I wasn't going to apologize for standing up for myself. I temporarily left until you got your head on straight. Then Rosalie heard you say that 'it was for the best' then Heidi says you opted to not freelance during my book tour. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

Pain covered his features. "It's not you think," he murmured.

"Really? I go to pay my half of the bills and I find out you have tried to take my name off of everything! You're trying to kick me out of my own apartment."

"Bella…" he pleaded. He looked as if he'd been punched in the gut.

"I opened up my home, MY HOME, to you and this how you repay me! What the fuck, Jasper!"

I had never seen Jasper look so torn. "It's not what you think…"

"You keep saying that!" I threw up my hands in frustration. "So please explain it me then," I demanded. I was angry. I was trying to be somewhat sympathetic but I was still angry nonetheless.

"I can't…. At least not yet."

I laughed but there wasn't an ounce of humor in it. "Can't or won't?"

He rubbed his hands over his face. "Please… just…."

"Please what?"

Jasper took two steps forward. "I know none of this is making sense but I can explain… I just can't explain it right now…." He looked so heartbroken, but…

"I can't keep doing this, Jasper," I whispered. "You haven't talked to me in weeks. Then you go behind my back and try to kick me out of my own apartment…." I felt the tears burning my eyes as I spoke the next words. "Do you know how many nights I cried over you? How many nights I wondered why my best friend had pushed me away?"

"I'm sorry," he said but it was more like a plea, a plea to understand. But to understand what?

"Then explain it all to me."

I waited but he said nothing. More seconds ticked by Jasper made no move to explain his behavior over the past weeks.

I closed my eyes as the remaining anger left my body. Left in its place was...well I wasn't sure what it was. It was like a deep hurt or some form of brokenness… but it didn't sway me on my decision on what I still needed to do.

I braced myself because the next words I spoke tore my heart to shreds. "The apartment is yours. I'll get the remainder of my things today then take my name off the lease and utilities. Today... Today will be the last time you'll see me. I won't call. I won't text. If you decide I'm finally worthy of your time, then I expect a full explanation of everything that's happened. If you can't give me that... then don't bother contacting me."

From the look on his face, you would have thought my words ripped out his heart too.

I didn't wait for his response as I turned to go into my old bedroom. Once I closed the door, I let the silent tears flow free. After a minute, I texted Edward to ask him to pick up some moving boxes and tape.

The next half hour was spent organizing the remainder of my belongings before Edward texted me saying he was at the front door.

"Hey," I greeted as I took the folded boxes from Edward.

"There's more in the car. I've also arranged a moving van to be here in an hour."

"Thanks. I didn't even think about that." I then noticed that Edward was looking behind me. I turned to see Jasper standing the hallway, looking defeated.

"I'll go get the rest of the stuff out of the car," Edward whispered before heading back out the door.

As I was walking back to my room, I heard Jasper say, "You didn't tell me that he would be here."

I stopped and turned around to face him. "He drove me and stayed in case I needed moral support because that's what friends do." My words were sharper then I intended.

Jasper scoffed. "Friends. You're living together, right? I don't know many people who live with their exes and are just friends."

My temper flared. "Are you, serious? Are you forgetting that he was here the night you showed up drunk? That you were the one yelling and acting like a fool? So he offered me a place to stay for the night because he was concerned about leaving me here because of how you were acting. Did that somehow slip from your memory?"

Jasper remained silent.

"That's what I thought." I turned to leave but then Jasper spoke.

"Why do you believe that's all he wants? That friendship is enough?"

"Because I made it clear that's all I was able to give him. And he was fine with that because that's all he wanted. Are you forgetting that you were the one that insisted I make amends?"

"Yeah, make amends. I… I didn't think you would become friends or…. He hurt you, I know he did. You can say that you hurt him, but…."

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Jasper. Honestly, I was the one who hurt him. Yes, I was still hurt from the breakup but…. If anyone needed a second chance it was me. Thankfully, he and I were able to get past what happened and decided to try being friends."

Jasper didn't respond and after a minute a silence, I went to finish packing. Edward came back with more boxes and we soon had everything packed up. I took all the furniture from my bedroom but decided to leave everything that was in the common areas. Jasper stayed his room while the movers got everything.

After the moving truck left, Edward went to the car so I could tell Jasper my final piece. This could very well be my final goodbye to him. And if it was… then there was one thing I had to tell Jasper before leaving.

I knocked on his bedroom door and when Jasper answered…. His eyes were red like he had been crying.

"All my things are loaded up and gone. I left the majority of the kitchen supplies as well as the living room furniture." He opened his mouth to protest. "Think of it as my payment for the utilities and breaking the lease fee." I couldn't tell him that furniture smelled like him and that the kitchen items reminded me of all the nights we made dinner together. It all held too many memories, just like the apartment. I was letting it all go so I could have a fresh start.

"Before I go…." My voice was shaky and my palms were sweaty. This was not how I imagined telling him. I had pictured it all so differently. I never thought we would be here like we were now. Broken and…. "There is something I need to tell you."

Jasper didn't say anything, but his eyes spoke of concern and curiosity.

"I…" My heart pounded in my chest. My stomach was in knots and I felt like I could very well throw up. I breathed through my nose while closing my eyes. When I opened them, Jasper was looking even more concerned than before. "I know this may very well be the last time I see you and… and if it is…" I swallowed trying to rid the lump in my throat. "Then….I've known for years that…." Why couldn't just say it? Tears burned my eyes."I…" It's now or never. "I love you. I've loved you for years and... I think I will always love you. And… and now you know."

Jasper's face was full of shock. He continued to stand still as a statue when I turned and walked away.

So I left. Not knowing if I would ever see or hear from Jasper again.

As Edward drove us back this home, I cried. No, crying isn't the right word…

Wept. I wept the entire way to Edward's apartment. I never understood what the word meant until now. It's when you cry even when it's impossible to still have any tears left. It's when your whole body cries. It's when your very soul is leaking from your body.

It wasn't until we were at his apartment that Edward spoke.

"I arranged for your things to be put in storage. I wasn't sure what all you would want all the apartment but I didn't think everything would fit here."

"Thank you," I whispered. "You've been such a good friend to me. We went years without seeing each other and then when we do see each other again... we were talking again for like two weeks… and then you open up your home to me…" Hopefully, he understood my ramblings.

"It's what friends do for each, Bella. Maybe… Maybe I was meant to come back into your life now so that I could help you through this time."

"Maybe…" I wasn't sure of anything anymore, to be honest.

"I hope Jasper gets his head of his ass soon though," Edward said so low I wasn't sure I was meant to hear it.

"I told him I loved him." I finally admitted.

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around my middle.

"Nothing?"

"I... I think he was in shock… and so I left….it's… it's probably for the best." Better than facing rejection.

"Hey…" he soothes as I felt him wipe tears away from my face. "It'll be okay. Things will get better."

But would they? Would they really?

I was quiet for the rest of the day. I actually don't think I uttered a word for the next 24 hours. The next few days were a blur but Edward seemed to snap me back to reality when I needed it the most.

Heidi called the next week to finalize the details of the book tour and that seemed to be my wake up call. I started looking at apartments since I couldn't stay with Edward forever.

A month went by went with no luck. Majority of the places wouldn't have an opening till the end of the summer. Some places on my B list would have a vacancy sooner but… well if I was looking for a fresh start then I wanted it to be in a place I loved.

"Why not just wait until September to move out? One of your top three places has an opening then and you're going on tour in just a few weeks anyway. From what you told me, you would be home very little this summer anyways. It's not like I need you to move out right away," Edward said in between mouthfuls of take-out. We were currently eating lunch in his office.

"Are you sure? What about if you start dating?" I asked.

"You previously agreed to be my wingman so I can't start dating until you're done with your summer tour anyway. Not to mention, I'm trying to get that promotion so my summer will be crazy with work anyways."

"Should I even be here then? If you're so busy and all…" I really didn't want to have negative effects on Edward's life. Not after he had helped me so much in the past two months.

"It's fine. I can spare a few minutes every now and then."

"I'm honored," I said dryly.

Edward laughed. "Aw don't be like that. I-"

But the door to his office opened before he would finish.

In walked a man who looked to be his late thirties or early forties. "Edward, I-" He stopped short when he saw me. "I'm sorry I didn't realize you had company."

"Aro," Edward said while wiping his mouth and hands quickly. "This is Bella. Bella, this Aro, my boss. Well, one of my bosses."

"Pleasure to meet you," Aro greeted and then looked to Edward. "Girlfriend? Is this why you never come out with us?"

Edward laughed awkwardly. "Uh.. no. We're just friends. Roommates actually."

"Hmm.." Aro mused while glancing back at me.

"I should probably go. We both have work to do." I said while gathering my things.

"No need to rush off now," Aro assured me, but I knew it was best that I go ahead and leave.

"I have a couple of errands to run anyway." I then looked to Edward "Thanks for lunch."

He snorted. "More like I should thank you. You're the one that brought me food."

I rolled my eyes then glanced to Aro, who had been carefully watching the interaction.

"You should join us for a drink sometime," he offered then looked to Edward. "You both should come to the usual spot this Friday."

Later that evening, Edward brought up his boss, or well one of his many bosses.

"So Aro seems to be taken with you."

I raised my eyes at him. "Okay…."

"After you left, he asked if I thought we would actually come out for drinks."

"And?" I asked while sipping my wine.

"And I told him I didn't know," he answered with a shrug.

"Do you want to go?"

"Maybe" he answered with a shrug. "But only if you come too."

I leaned back in my chair. "I don't know…"

"Bella…"

"Will it help with your promotion?"

"I- Wait. What?"

I got up to put my glass in the sink. "Will it help your chances of getting that promotion you wanted."

"Uh.. maybe… But that's now why I think we should go." He answered while also getting up from the table.

"While why do you think we should go then?"

"Because you need to get out. I know you're more of a homebody but you've really become a recluse the past month. I'm not saying you have to go out every weekend. Hell, I'm not encouraging partying or one-night stands or anything. All I am saying is that it wouldn't hurt to get out and have a good time every now and then. "

"I don't know…." The month since I confronted Jasper, I had retreated more into myself- that I did know. I just wasn't sure if going to a bar was a good way of breaking out of my shell again.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't think Aro is interested in you in a romantic sense."

"Okay…." Not sure where he was going with this.

"He was more interested in the part you play in my life. Since… since we reconnected I've been happier...and people at work have noticed. Of course, people assume I'm dating or just getting laid regularly…" he let out an awkward laugh. "But Aro picked up on how we interact. He knows you're the reason for my better mood at work. While I assured him you and I have a platonic relationship, I also made it clear that you were not interested in dating anyone. He claims that wasn't his intention when he asked to go out Friday. But that he merely wants to get to know the person that makes me more bearable at work."

I laughed. "Did you tell him I was originally responsible for your sullen mood?"

"Nah. That conversation would have been lengthy and it isn't any of their business anyway."

Edward had previously told me that he had started at the company shortly after we broke up. It was part of his "fresh start" mentality.

"Will you at least think about it?" Edward asked, his voice now serious.

I nodded

As I lay in bed that night, I knew what was holding me back. Jasper hadn't contacted me which I guess was to be expected. He had ignored me weeks prior. Why should- me telling him that I love him- change that?

I then felt the tears prickle my eyes. Letting go of it all was harder than I imagined.

After careful consideration, I decided that I would go out. It would just be me hanging out with Edward and his colleagues. Nothing major.

It was time for the next chapter of my life.

* * *

 **Author Note: Have faith! Patience!**

 **Also, I have had one or two people ask for a chapter in Jasper's point of view. I'm not sure at this point, but I can say that the next chapter will be partly in Bella's point of view and then partly not in her POV. Who's point of view? I don't want to tell you yet but…. It will help reveal some answers as to Jasper's behavior.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author Note** : _Sorry for the prolonged absence. If you follow my facebook page then you know why there has been a lack of updates. I am hoping to have a better posting schedule in January._

 _Also…..The story thus far has been in Bella's point of view; while the chapter starts out that way, it changes over to someone else._

* * *

Chapter 14

BPOV

"Seriously though! You should put me in your next book!"

I rolled my eyes but a smile still tugged at my lips. This was the argument I had with Demetri everytime I saw him since he found out I was a published author.

"But you have to describe me as I actually am though. Handsome, charming…"

"Arrogant jackass," Edward chimed in which made everyone laugh.

My first outing with Edward and his colleagues had gone better than expected. The "bar" we went to was more an upscale lounge/coffeehouse that happened to serve alcohol. It was definitely not what I had been expecting but was a pleasant surprise.

Since then we had all gotten together once a week for the past month. Sometimes it was a late dinner or back to the "bar" I had initially meet them. Edward's colleagues were a lot more laid back than expected. Well, the colleagues that I had meet that is. I still had yet to lay eyes on the top boss, Caius, or his protegee, Jane -who the others described as "utterly terrifying and makes grown men cry." I was in no rush to meet them and hopefully never would.

"When do you leave for your book tour?" The question came from Chelsi, who was seated two chairs down.

"Tomorrow."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner! We need to celebrate or at least have a toast or something!" Chelsi then proceded to flag down a waiter and ordered a round for everyone. She could be a little exuberant at times but was overall a nice person.

"She doesn't like the spotlight," that comment came from Heidi. Yes, my editor had joined us tonight because ironically she was related to both Caius and Aro. Marcus Volturi was the head honcho for the publishing company I worked for and was also Heidi's grandfather. Marcus and Caius were brothers and their father had started the investment company Edward worked for.

It was irony at it's best. The investment company was named "V&V Investments" and I never considered that "V" could mean "Volturi" like Volturi Publishing. Heidi had gone into a lengthy discussion at one point, explaining how her grandfather still owned part of the company, hence the second V.

Dinner lasted another hour before Edward practically carried me to the car. I wasn't drunk just exhausted. I had spent the past two days packing for the tour and had barely slept. The lack of sleep was due more to nerves though. While I was excited about my book tour, I was also anxious. Not to mention, there was still an ache in my chest when I remembered that Jasper should be going with me but wasn't.

Speaking of Jasper... He still hadn't contacted me.

Two months since I had confronted him at the apartment.

Two months since I told him I loved him...

Telling him though had set a part of me free. I had laid it all on the line and now could go on without regretting that I never told him.

Of course, I still missed Jasper like crazy. I still wondered why his behavior had suddenly changed those few months back. Why he had basically turned into someone I barely recognized…

I also knew there was something he was hiding from me. How he had wanted to "explain things" but "couldn't right now."

I don't regret that I basically gave him an ultimatum. I had to do it. For me.

If he ever wanted to patch things up, or at least try, he knew my conditions.

I wanted truthful explanations for his past actions because honestly, I deserved it.

I deserved the truth and wouldn't settle for anything less.

"You're sure you don't want me to take you to the airport?" Edward asked. He was dressed and ready for work and we both knew he had a meeting this morning that he couldn't miss.

"Positive. Angela is meeting me here with a taxi so we can go together." Angela was in charge of making sure the bookstore ran smoothly. She had been a lifesaver when I had stressed over what to pack since we were would be traveling over the continental U. S.

Edward ran his hand through his hair- a habit he still had yet to break. "Well… good luck and text me when you land so I know you got there okay."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him and instead reached over to hug him before saying, "I will."

We finished up our goodbyes and then Edward left for work. Not even fifteen minutes later, Angela arrived and we headed to the airport. New York was our first stop. Angela explained that we would start on the East Coast and then work our way back to the West Coast to Washington. Later in the afternoon, we touched down in the Big Apple and I texted Edward as promised.

Stepping out into the city, a surge of excitement flowed through me.

Something told me it was going to be one hell of a summer.

Edward's Point of View (Yep, you read that right. Let's see things from Eddie's point of view)

Bella had been gone on her book tour for two months now with another month left to go. I would be lying if I said my apartment wasn't lonely. She had been staying with me for not quite three months before she left for her tour and I had gotten used to her constant company. Sadly, she would only be at my place for two weeks when she came home. After that, she would be moving into her new apartment. I was happy for her though…. The phone ringing cut me from my thoughts (which were about to turn to self-pity.)

"Hello," I answered.

"Hey," Bella greeted from the other side of the phone. Speak of the devil….

"How's it going? You're in Texas now, right?"

"Yeah…" she sounded... sad.

"Why so glum? Are people not turning up?"

"No, it's not that. Plenty of people… more than I expected…"

"Then why does it sound like I'm on the phone with Eyeore?"

Bella snorted. "Way to make a girl feel good."

I chuckled. "Just speaking the truth."

"It's just…."

"Yes…" I encouraged.

"Jasper's from Texas…" Oh. "and he was supposed to come on the tour with me…" Now I understood. "And we talked about sight-seeing and…"

"And he's not there with you and it really fucking sucks."

She sighed. "Pretty much." A beat passed before she spoke again. "I'm sorry to be dumping all this on you."

"Hey, it's fine. This is the first time you've mentioned Jasper all summer." Well...to me at least..."And it's perfectly understandable that you would get a little emotional now."

Bella sighed from the other end."Well… when you put it that way…"

We talked for a little while longer. Bella insisted that I distract her with stories from work which I promptly did. We called each other every few days but there was absolutely nothing romantic about it. And I was fine with that.

When I reached out to Bella all those months back, I didn't expect anything other than friendship. From the beginning, I knew things would always stay platonic.

That didn't mean though that there wasn't a part of me that still loved her. I think a part of me always would. But that love was changing and it evolving more into a love between friends.

It killed me though- how everything happened with Jasper. There were times I felt guilty, like I had a put a rift between them. Bella insisted none of it was my fault. But still...I wished there was some way I could I help. If only because it would make Bella happy...then an idea hit me.

I gave myself the weekend to reconsider my plan. But Monday came and I was still all for it.

I took off work a little early so I couldn't make it to my destination in time. When I arrived, there was a flicker of doubt. That maybe I would make things worse or…

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I went inside.

I observed him for a moment since he didn't hear me approach. He was hunched over his desk and appeared to be writing. He looked thinner and while he was showered, dressed, and groomed… there was a hollowness about his demeanor. He looked like he had been through the ringer and was just now starting to cope. Finally, he lifted his head and our eyes meet.

Taking a step forward I said, "Hello, Jasper."

While he tried to keep his face neutral, I could tell there was an array of emotions brewing under the surface.

"Edward." His voice was cold which was unsurprising. I knew I was on the bottom of the list of people he wanted to see.

I took a few more steps forward before saying, "I need to talk to you."

"About?" Then his face paled and his body went rigid. "Is Bella okay?"

Shit. He was probably thinking the worst.

"She's fine. Still on her book tour and it seems to be going well."

Jasper's body visibly relaxed and then he asked, "So… you want to talk? About?"

"It's about...well, it's concerning Bella."

He rubbed his hands over his face before looking at me again. Jasper's countenance was one of defeat, like a man who had not just given up- but given up entirely.

"Listen, Edward, I really don't want to get involved in you and Bella's lives."

"This isn't about me," I said firmly, "it's about Bella."

He sighed before gesturing for me to take a seat which I did.

"I'm Bella's friend. And even though we had dated in the past, we've been able to maintain a platonic friendship," I stated firmly, "and part of being her friend is intervening if I think something is hurting her overall happiness."

Jasper moved slightly in his seat but said nothing as I continued. "She's doing better since she last saw you. I've managed to get her out of the house, to socialize, to laugh but… but there's still something missing. I've seen it for months now but hoped that it would resolve itself."

Jasper was now looking out the window and still made no move to speak. "When she called me last week from Texas…" Jasper's eyes then meet mine. He knew. He knew the effect it would have on her. "... all she could think about was you. That you should have been with her on the tour. That you were supposed to go sightseeing with her." The sadness was written all over his face. It hurt him just as much not to be there. "She's been healing but… but I think being there on tour opened up some of the wounds that had just started to heal. She's been trying so hard to move on… but I think there's a part of her that can't."

Jasper was still quiet but I could see the unshed tears threatening to spill over. He tried to swallow back the emotion but there was a part of him that was at the seams, threatening to burst. "Do you know why Bella and I broke up?" I asked, knowing he didn't know the full story.

He shook his head. "She told she was the one to end it… that she hurt you… but…"

"But?" I prodded.

Jasper ran his hands through his hair before answering, "But she seemed so hurt by the breakup. I always thought that you had to be somehow at fault. The look in her eye when it got brought up…" His voice was low and raw. "I always knew she wasn't being completely honest about what happened."

"Bella was the one to end things but how it ended…" I sighed as the guilt started to claw at me. "I had said some things that hurt her, things that I regret… The day Bella ended things… I had gone out to look at rings because I was planning on proposing in a few months. When she started to break up with me, I thought maybe she found out and had gotten spooked. That maybe things were happening too fast, but…" I swallowed back the lump forming in my own throat. "She told me she was in love with someone else. That she had been for awhile but had just recently realized it. She told me she was being unfair to me by staying together- that she knew she would never love me the way I loved her. And….I was so angry. I accused her of cheating…" I ran my hand through my hair as the memories flickered through my mind. "I said things that I can never take back and… I was unfair. She… Telling me how she felt had to be extremely hard and I basically spat in her face for it. But part of me was angry at myself because I had always suspected it."

"Suspected what?" Jasper asked, speaking for the first time since my speech began.

"That she loved you. When she and I first started dating, I asked her about you two being so close, she assured me you both were just good friends. So I put my fears aside… then later when you started dating Alice, I thought that confirmed you both were just close friends. When Bella and I broke up, I knew she was referring to you… when she said she was in love with someone else."

"I didn't know… I didn't know that's why you guys broke up… I didn't know that she…" Jasper looked so defeated as he spoke.

"That she loved you?"

He shook his head. "I… As a teenager I loved her but was too afraid to cross that line because I was scared she didn't feel the same way. We both dated other people but there were moments when I thought I say something in her eyes. I thought that maybe…. That maybe she loved me too. But that was still that fear. Years passed and I didn't want to risk our friendship so I did nothing about it. Then she started dating you…"

I raised an eyebrow, not sure where this was going.

"She was different with you, different than with her other boyfriends. Your relationship continued and as it got more serious… I contemplated telling her but it seemed unfair so I started dating Alice…" He let out a dark chuckle. "And that's when my life went to shit."

"Bella never gave me the full details. But you and Alice didn't date long before you got married…"

"She told me she was pregnant." Oh. That I did not know. "She didn't want anyone to know. She said people would think that was only reason we were getting married. But truthfully, that was the only reason. I only proposed because she was supposedly pregnant and I wanted to make things right. My dad left my mom when he found out she was pregnant with me and… I didn't want to be like him. Turns out it was all a lie anyway. She told me she miscarried soon after the wedding and we never told anyone about any of it. The day she told me she was leaving me for her boss... she came clean and told me the truth- that she lied about being pregnant."

"Fuck. That is messed up." Who the hell does something like that?

"Yeah." He laughed again but like before there wasn't a trace of humor. "And the thing about it is… it was right after ya'll broke up. The day I told Bella I was getting married was the same day she told me ya'll broke up. Then she said it had happened two weeks prior and I felt like a shitty friend for not being there for her. She wouldn't tell me what happened and… and I never pushed it further."

"It really was a fucked up situation, for the both of you," I added.

"Yeah…"

"So, the question now is- what the hell is your problem?" His eyes grew wide at my abrasiveness, but it didn't stop me from continuing."Why did you cut Bella out of your life? And why the fuck did you not tell her how you felt when she told you she loved you?"

Jasper rubbed his hands over his face. "It's not a simple answer."

"I have time. And alcohol. So we can take this conversation to my place if you need some liquid courage. Or we could go to a bar… but I have a feeling this isn't a conversation you want to have in public."

"No. No alcohol. I'm not touching the stuff at all right now." I then remembered the night Jasper showed up at his and Bella's apartment drunk. He had gotten angry and borderline violent. Maybe offering a drink wasn't the best idea then. "But I will tell you why I did what I did- what I'm still doing," Jasper took a deep breath. "The night you were supposed to come over for dinner… the night I showed up drunk… I had gotten an envelope from Alice's lawyer. They weren't making the divorce proceedings easy. I wanted to do the standard file and then 90 days later it's over but… Alice remembered we had a prenup."

"A prenup? Bella never mentioned that you had one. She thought the divorce would be cut and dry which is why you didn't bother with a lawyer."

"That's because she didn't know about the prenup. Hell. I had forgotten about it until Alice's lawyer mentioned it. Our marriage was quick but Alice had some papers drawn up in case we did get a divorce later on. She said it was a precaution in case things didn't work and that it would protect the baby. I was fine with it because it ensured custody of any children would be 50/50. Other things were added but again nothing that I thought would be detrimental."

"What other kinds of things?" I asked, leaning slightly forward.

"There was some infidelity clauses…"

"Isn't that a good thing? Alice cheated on you with her boss and left you for him wouldn't that…" but then I remembered that Jasper said Alice brought up the prenup… why would she…"What aren't you telling me?" I asked darkly.

"Whatever you're assuming, don't. I can see the gears turning in your head."

"Then explain," I said through gritted teeth.

"Alice is claiming that I had an affair..." Fucking hell. Just as I thought. "...with Bella."

"Hold up. What?"

"I told you not to assume…" Jasper let a sigh that clearly said he was tired of whatever fucked up mess Alice kept pulling him into. "Alice is claiming that I had an affair with Bella and that when she confronted me about it, I got violent. She was scared so told her boss, James, who in turn wanted to help her. She is backing up the claim with the fact that I moved in with Bella after our fight and that Bella came with me later to get my belongings from the house."

"That's fucked up."

"I know and it even isn't all of it. James is backing up any claim Alice makes. He is playing the role of 'caring boss' and making things ten times worse."

"Wasn't Alice having an affair with him?"

"Yep. And I brought that up to her lawyers but they're saying I'm lying. That I'm only accusing Alice of having an affair now because I got caught having one. They claim a judge won't believe me…"

"Why haven't you gotten a lawyer?" I mean really. It was stupid move on his part.

"Oh I know I need one now. After they dragged Bella's name into this mess, I knew I had to get legal representation. The problem is... I'm broke and not many lawyers want to do pro bono for a guy accused of cheating and possible abuse."

"Shit," I whispered then a thought occurred to me. "Isn't James married?"

"Yep, but his wife Victoria has been out of the country. She's been traveling over in Europe for her job for the better part of the year."

"So she may have no clue what her husband is involved in?"

Jasper shrugged. "Maybe. I really don't know."

I thought for moment before I said, "So you pushed Bella away to deter their claims about the affair?"

Jasper nodded. "I did it more to protect her. After opening the letter from Alice's lawyer, I was pissed. I was sure Alice had ruined any chance I had with Bella- that Bella would never be with me because people would then think what Alice said about us having an affair was true. So I was an idiot and went out to the bar. After drinking too much, I went home and saw you two together and… and I knew I would eventually lose her to someone else. That's why I got angry. When she left… I saw it as sign, a sign that I needed to let her go. She didn't deserve to get caught up in my mess, to have her name slandered especially since she's a writer. Those kinds of accusations could hurt her public image and career and I couldn't let that happen."

"Bella hasn't heard from any lawyers. If they were going to use this imaginary affair against you, couldn't they suppenoe her to court?"

Jasper nodded. "That's exactly what Alice's lawyer threatened to do. We've been negotiating, if you could call it that, more like they've been dictating." Jasper let out a long breath. "They won't involve Bella in the court proceeding if I agree to give Alice the house and if I don't file any claims about her cleaning out our joint bank accounts. They said Alice would have been entitled to the house and the money anyway, if the infidelity clause was used in divorce proceedings."

That was seriously fucked up. "Have you actually signed any papers agreeing to this?"

"Not yet. We're supposed to go in front of a judge in two months if we can't come to an agreement. Everything got pushed back when they involved the prenup and it was no longer a standard case."

"You need to tell Bella," I said firmly.

"No, she can't know. Not until it's all over."

"Why?" I pressed.

Jasper snorted. "You know why. Bella would insist on still going to court, trying to clear my name. But we wouldn't win and her reputation would be ruined for nothing. "

"You didn't have to cut her out completely though." Then another thought occurred to me. "Does Rosalie know?"

"Parts and bits. At first, I just told her that Alice's lawyer was throwing out false accusations. I didn't tell her that Alice was claiming I had an affair with Bella until after she got those suitcases of clothes for Bella from the apartment. I made her promise not to say anything though. She thought I just needed some time but now she just thinks I'm an idiot."

"Rosalie doesn't know about the negotiations with Alice's lawyer?"

Jasper shook his head. "No, no way in hell. She would tear Alice a new one and then me for even considering agreeing to them."

"So what's your plan now? Just roll over and let Alice take everything? What are you going to tell Rosalie and Bella after everything is said and done?"

"I won't tell Rose unless I have to… and Bella….I want to tell Bella after it's all over...but I don't know if she will up for listening at that point."

"She will. And I personally think you should tell her now before you actually get in front of a judge or agree to anything those lawyers are demanding."

"But-"

"But nothing. You have a month before Bella gets home and two months before your court date. Two things need to happen in that time period. First, you need to figure out what to say to Bella when she gets home."

"What's the second thing?"

"I help get you a damn good lawyer and we stick it to that bitch Alice."

* * *

 **Author Note** : _Hopefully, this answers any questions concerning Edward. (Like his motives, if he's a good guy, and is current involvement with Bella.) I know quite a few people were worried about him._

 _So what do ya'll think about Jasper's explanation?_

 _Also, remember I am not a lawyer and this is fiction. Divorce proceedings are different in every state and I do not live in Washington. At the beginning of this story, I did some research and it does state that Washington is a no-fault state and once filed, a divorce is finalized after 30 days. If you do have a prenup, I have no clue how that factors in. I just wrote it how it logically (at least in my mind) would play out._

 _I personally live in a state where you can file for either a fault or no-fault divorce so things are done completely different here._


End file.
